Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Pokémon Legends
by DarkX the Dragon Knight
Summary: For thousands of years, the Legendary Pokémon have been lost to the lands of Pokéa. But now, the are mysteriously returning, and it's up to three unlikely allies to save their world from a dark threat. But with time running out, will they be able to prevent an ancient mistake from being made again? Especially with an even BIGGER threat on the brink of awakening?
1. Annoyed Morning

**A/N: Greetings, reader! Have you come from my previous stories and want to see how I'm doing? Or are you new, and looking for a good Pokémon story? No matter how or why you're here, it's still the same- I am DarkX the Dragon Knight!**

 **Let me be honest with you- Pokémon is love, Pokémon is life. One of the very first video game series I ever played, I still love it to this day. Therefore, it seems only natural that I write a fic about it! So, this story...is a Pokémon: Mystery Dungeon story. No, it's not based on any of the games, it's a completely new idea I came up with, with the Pokémon you all know and love, with Dungeons you've never seen or heard of! What more could you want!?**

 **So, you ready? _The adventure begins on three!_**

 ** _One, two, three, GO!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Annoyed Morning**

Dune felt the morning sun on his face. Morning was the one time of day he could actually find some peace from the residents of Alpha Town. Those Pokémon treated him like he was some kind of _legend,_ the biggest celebrity in the land. And Dune _hated_ it. Sure, he may have done some great things in the past, but that was just it- they were in the past! The Krokorok hadn't gone exploring in years, why couldn't the townsfolk just let it go and move on?

Dune stood up and stretched. He gazed out at the vast sea in front of him. On the far eastern side of Alpha Town, a large cliff outlooked a giant ocean. Even though Dune, being a Ground-type didn't like getting wet, he didn't mind the calm sparkle of the sea. It helped keep his temper in check when he was in a bad mood. This was also part of the reason he decided to build his house there.

Dune walked down the trail leading to the town. As he passed his mailbox, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Good morning, Dune! The weather is splendid today, isn't it?" called the oily voice. Dune immediately recognized it as Wave the Pelipper, who was also the town messenger.

"Weather's been "splendid" for months, Wave. If you're just now noticing that, then you've got berries in your brain," Dune replied, frowning. "Unless you got mail for me, go state the obvious to somebody else."

Wave didn't seem too taken aback by Dune's foul mood. He always could be a bit testy in the morning. Nevermind- he was _always_ testy. With that, Wave spread his white- feathered wings and took off. Dune, pretending the conversation never happened, continued on until he finally reached Alpha Town.

The town wasn't very big. It was built on top of a large plateau overlooking the ocean to the east, and the majority of the land to the west. Also west of Dune's house was the southern half of Alpha Town, which consisted of four of its total seven main buildings.

"Good day to you, Dune! Have you any deposits you wish to make?" asked a voice. Dune knew it as Morpheus the Honchkrow, owner of the bank. Lately, his business was kind of slow, so he constantly asked residents about deposits and withdraws. Dune was one of those residents.

"I told ya yesterday- I ain't got any money I need to put in or take out, so stop pestering me!" he snarled. Morpheus appeared to take the hint, and went into the bank to organize his money boxes. Dune continued on, passing the set of stone stairs that led to the Mystery Dungeons outside of town. He had no intention of going out there.

Dune turned to another path leading to the northern half of town. As he did, something smacked into his back, sending him sprawling forward onto the ground.

"Oops! Sorry, mister, are you okay?" the Pokémon asked. Dune scowled and stood up. Dusting himself off, he turned to face whoever had run into him. Dune could easily distinguish the short, brown body and three-metal-fingered hands as an Excadril.

"I'm fine. Clumsy oaf, watch we're yer going next time!" he growled. The Excadril seemed taken aback by Dune's harshness, but soon recovered and nodded, then ran off to Morpheus' bank. Dune scoffed; living in Alpha Town his entire life, he had pretty much memorized every Pokémon that lived there. That Excadril, though- he must be new to the town.

 _If that's the case,_ Dune thought, _chances are these Pokémon'll tell him all about my fame. Just what I need- another Pokémon mooning over my past glories._

* * *

 **A/N: There you go, Chapter 1 is in the bag! Sorry if this was a little boring; exposition, you know? Anyways, next chapter we...are probably gonna get more exposition. This time, however, it'll actually advance the plot! So what adventures are awaiting our grumpy protagonist, Dune the Krokorok? Find out next time! Remember to review, as constructive criticism is always appreciated! See you next chapter! Hope to see you there!**


	2. Meet Clay

**A/N: Welcome back, reader! So, in case you haven't noticed, the title of this story has been changed to include the "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon" in it. Because, like I said last time, this is a Pokémon Mystery Dungeon story. And it was actually my sister's idea to change it. Well, explanation aside, this chapter, MORE EXPOSITION! And a new character is introduced! Well, we learn their name, at least...you know what? I'll just let you figure it out. Read on!**

 **Also, quick shout-out to Imagination is king for being the first Author to favorite me! You know what that means? CONFETTI CANNONS! *fires confetti in all directions while cheering is heard***

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Meet Clay**

Soprano's Café was probably Dune's favorite place in the town. Located in the northern half of town, the café was popular for its great food Soprano's great music. He liked it because he go there to just relax and have a drink or two. He had even once taken a nap there. Dune passed the market and the first-aid center and walked in through the curtains at the entrance.

The building itself was built like the others in town- based on whoever owned it, which in this case was a Kricketune. The head made up the roof, and the walls were made of different shades of red and had tan stripes circling the room, with black ovals dotting the walls. Dune entered and, as always, was packed with Pokémon. Dune strolled over to a table near the upper-left corner of the room. There was somebody else there waiting for him.

Duke wasn't like the other Pokémon in town. The old Houndoom had known Dune for a long time, and he was the one Pokémon that treated the Krokorok like a normal being- not some godlike hero.

"Good morning, Dune," Duke greeted with a nod.

"Mornin'" Dune replied, nodding back. "Hey listen. I just ran into somebody outside here. I'm thinkin' he's new around here."

"Hm? We never get any new citizens around here," Duke stated. "How do you know he was new?"

Dune stared. "That a trick question or what? I bet ya 500 Poké that I can name every Pokémon that lives here, and that Excadrill ain't one of them."

Duke nodded and turned to the entrance just as somebody else walked in. He flicked his pointed tail to get Dune's attention, then gestured to the curtains. "Well, speak of the devil."

Standing there at the doorway was the Excadrill.

Dune shrank back and stared. Would he recognize him? He hoped not. Dune wasn't much of a socialist to begin with, so he really didn't want to have to make conversation with somebody who had just showed up out of nowhere.

The Excadrill turned in his direction. Dune turned away. Don't draw attention, don't draw attention, don't draw attention...

Too late.

"Hey, it's you again!" the Subterrene Pokémon called enthusiastically. Dune groaned. It was bad enough this kid was probably going to bother him all day, but did he really have to get the attention of everybody in the café? It didn't matter now, as the dark brown Pokémon was now heading towards their table.

"Hello there, young one," Duke said. Dune huffed. The Houndoom had better social skills than he did, and had more patience to boot. "I see you've already met my friend here."

Excadrill turned to Dune. "Kind of. We ran into each other outside, and I mean _literally_ ran into each other! I was so excited to finally be here, I didn't even see a Krokorok walking to this building!"

"Well, Alpha Town is pleased to have you," Duke replied. "I am Duke, and you've already met Dune."

"Hi Duke! Hi Dune!" Excadrill replied with a wave. "My name's Clay!"

"Clay, huh?" Dune replied, now knowing the stranger's name. "If ya don't mind me asking, what in the world made ya come to Alpha Town in the first place?"

"Oh that's easy," Clay replied. "I'm an explorer, you see, and I'm itching for an adventure! I also wanted to leave home for a little while, and I heard Pokéa is a _great_ place to have an adventure!"

Dune almost laughed. Where did this kid get his information from? "Do you even know what you're talkin' about, boy? Ya think exploring just all fun and games?"

"Um, no I just..." Clay replied, confused by Dune's response.

"Lemme tell ya'll something- out there in the Mystery Dungeons, unless you're really, _truly_ prepared, them Pokémon out there will tear you apart so fast, it'll make your head spin," Dune stated dryly. "Especially now, with all them being even more hostile than usual."

Duke frowned and was about to respond when Clay replied, "Well, I appreciate the concern, but where I lived, the Pokémon there were also pretty hostile. I managed fine, and I'm confident I can survive out here too."

Dune sighed. Clearly, Clay couldn't get that "managing it" wasn't enough to survive in the Mystery Dungeons of Pokéa. Still, part of him couldn't help but respect his confidence. Just then, Dune heard somebody talking near him.

"...just walked right out there! I told her it was suicide, but she didn't listen to me!"

"No way! Just, like, up and left?"

"Yeah! Man, doesn't she know how dangerous it is to go out there alone?"

This got Dune's attention. Somebody had actually _left?_ By themselves? Whoever this girl was, she must be an idiot to just go right out to the Mystery Dungeons, alone no less! Dune turned to see who was talking, and saw a Hawlucha (Thoreus) and a Lairon (Skull) sitting nearby, deep in their conversation. Apparently, Clay heard it too, and walked up to them.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about? Who went out alone?" he asked. Thoreus seemed surprised that somebody had been listening in on their conversation, but explained anyways. "If you must know, a Sandslash went out to Southern Savanna earlier today. Nobody to help her, she just walked down those stairs and into that Mystery Dungeon."

"How come?" Clay asked. Thoreus frowned in annoyance and replied, "How should I know? She didn't day anything to anybody, just walked out there with her pack and stuff."

As the duo turned to enjoy their drinks, Clay headed towards the entrance.

"What're ya doing?" Dune asked, approaching the Excadrill.

"If what you said about the Mystery Dungeons is true, then that Sandslash might need help! I can't just stand by and do nothing!" Clay shouted.

"Kid, you can't just go out there and expect to come back in one piece, let alone go out and look for somebody!" Dune replied. "Mind your own business, and that's how you survive."

Clay stared at Dune for another minute before racing out the curtains. Dune scowled. Fine- if the kid wanted to go kill himself trying to save somebody who was probably already dead, then he'd let him.

"You know, I used to know an explorer who would go out of his way to help those who needed it," Duke stated, padding up to stand beside Dune.

"Don't you go playing that card again- that was long ago, a time long passed," Dune replied angrily.

"I understand some things are best left in the past," Duke said. "but maybe some things should be. Brought back to the present."

Dune narrowed his black eyes. "What're you sayin'?"

"Think about this," Duke said, turning back to the table. "Do you really not care about Clay's fate?"

Dune thought about this as Duke returned to his table. Did he not care? No, of course he didn't. Even after all he had said, Clay still insisted on going out to Southern Savanna to find this Sandslash girl. He had whatever was coming to him...

And yet, even as these thoughts spun in his head, Dune couldn't help but feel as though he were wrong. Wrong to just leave Clay to get torn apart by feral Pokémon, wrong to do nothing about the Sandslash's possible dilemma, and wrong to just...stand by in general. When Dune looked at Clay, he had this passionate fire in his eyes, passion for finding adventure, passion for helping others, passion in himself.

 _Sorta like me at one point._ Dune thought. He turned back to the curtains and sighed.

He could not believe he was about to do this.

Dune strode forward and exited the building.

* * *

 **A/N: And next time, we'll find out what becomes of Dune, Clay, and this mysterious Sandslash! Don't worry about boringness next chapter. When that comes, there'll be actual fighting! Stay tuned for all that and more! Don't forget to review- your opinions are always welcomed! Just, you know, be mature about it. Anyways, see ya next time!**


	3. Southern Savanna

**A/N: Ooooo, new chapter! Hyped? Good! Because in this chapter, there's actually gonna be some action! 'Bout time, yeah? You know, since the last two chapters were nothing but exposition, I'm sure you'll enjoy some actual battling! Although, this chapter's gonna be told in** ** _Clay's_ POV** **\- because, storytelling. No really, you'll understand in a few minutes. 'Till then, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Review Replies:**

 ** _Imagination is king:_ I...I probably shouldn't even say this...there _will_ be a Zoroark in this story. What role he/she will play...I'll leave you to figure that out!**

 ** _TheSeekerOf:_ Alright then, thanks! I'm glad you like some of the characters already, I wasn't expecting that! You'll be happy to know that Duke's going to play a bit of a bigger role later on. That won't be for a little while, though.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Southern Savanna**

As Clay trekked through the wilds of the Southern Savanna, he had a few things on his mind. Specifically, what the duo at the café had said. They made it sound like going into the Mystery Dungeons was like signing your own death warrant. Surely leaving the town wasn't _that_ dangerous, right? Granted, Clay had been to some pretty wild places before, but Southern Savanna seemed pretty tame. Herds of Blitzle and Zebstrika, grazing Rhyhorn, some Girafarig eating the leaves on trees, but none of these Pokémon paid any attention to the wandering Excadrill.

Then there was Dune. From what he had heard, the old Krokorok had been a famous explorer years ago, and had done many great things for the town. For reasons nobody went into specifics on, Dune had given up exploring and stayed in the town. Still, residents highly respected and adored him (not that he seemed to like it). Some explorer. Based on what he told Clay, it seemed as though he _loathed_ the idea of going out to strange places, the idea of looking for adventure...and the idea of helping somebody else.

Clay shook his head to clear his thoughts. Oh well, he'd show Dune he was capable of surviving out here. He'd find that Sandslash and prove he could be just as good as an explorer as anyone else in the world. After all, if the entire Dungeon was as mild as this, it shouldn't be too hard...

"Hey, who the heck are you? " a scratchy voice said nearby. Clay turned to see a Zebstrika with two Blitzle next to him glaring at the intruder.

"Oh, sorry, was I interrupting you three?" Clay asked, stepping back. He could easily take down these Electric-types, but he had come far without any trouble, and he didn't want to start now.

"Ah, no, no. We were just about to have some nice grass here, but you could come and join us if you want," one of the Blitzle suggested with kindness that didn't look too genuine.

"Um...no thanks, I'm just passing through here..." Clay replied, feeling a little uncomfortable now with the three Pokémon circling him.

"Nah, we insist, " the second Blitzle urged. "We don't get many visitors around here, and we were hoping you could stay a while."

Suddenly, the Blitzle both launched a Thunderbolt attacked at Clay, while the Zebstrika fired Shock Wave. Now, to any other Pokémon, a three-way attack like that would destroy any Pokémon, or possibly paralyze them. Unless you were a Ground-type like Clay, however, in which case Electric-type moves would have no effect on you. And it was the fact that Clay was still standing after the onslaught that confused the opposing trio.

"What the-!? HOW is he still standing!?"

"You idiot! I told you he was Ground-type!"

"I thought he was Steel!"

"He's brown, that clearly means he's Ground!"

"Not always!"

As Clay watched to two Blitzle argue, he couldn't help but think that these Pokémon weren't exactly the brightest in the world. _Seriously, are these guys for real? They threaten me, then they don't even realize I'm a Ground-type..._

This was a strange place.

Zebstrika growled. " _Idiots!_ Get him!"

The bickering Blitzle stopped and turned to Clay again. They remembered they were supposed to be fighting him, and both used Quick Attack, sprinting towards the Excadrill. Clay decided there was no turning back now; as soon as the Blitzle got close enough, he raked his claws against their faces with a Metal Claw attack. They yowled in pain and jumped back. He decided to finish them off with by using an Aerial Ace on both of them, which knocked them out. Zebstrika was by himself.

"Both of you are _useless!"_ he shouted at his knocked out companions. Zebstrika then faced Clay, glaring daggers, and lowered his head. He then charged, and soon caught fire as he did. It didn't take long for Clay to know Zebstrika was using Flame Charge. He decided to counter this with his favorite move: Drill Run.

Clay rushed forward and formed a drill using his steel hands and heads. Spinning his body rapidly, he collided with the charging Zebstrika. He broke through the flaming attack and struck the Zebstrika at full force. Because the Thunderbolt Pokémon was an Electric-type, and Drill Run was a Ground-type move, he didn't stand a chance. Clay landed on the grassy terrain and faced his opponent.

Zebstrika had collapsed onto the ground, defeated. When he got up, he seemed to acknowledge that he had been defeated, but he still had a look of pure hatred on his face.

"You two! Get up and get over hear!" he barked. The Blitzle duo shakily stood up.

"Did we win?" asked one.

"Does it look like he's knocked out!?" the other shouted, pointing a hoof at Clay.

"C'mon, we're going," Zebstrika ordered, gesturing to the Blitzle to follow. They quickly ran up to him and followed close behind. As Clay watched them go, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. Maybe these Pokémon had seen the Sandslash! Clay gave himself a mental slap in the face. Why hadn't he thought of that _before_ he fought them!?

"Hey hey, wait!" Clay called, briefly pursuing the trio. Zebstrika turned around and snarled, "What now!?"

"Did any of you happen to see a Sandslash come through here? You know, yellow, brown quills, big claws?" Clay briefly explained. Zebstrika and the Blitzle looked at each other, as though expecting one another to have an answer.

After a minute, Zebstrika answered, "No, we haven't. And even if we did, we still wouldn't tell you!"

As the trio of Electric-types walked away, Clay was disappointed that he had lost his one, and possibly only, lead. He sighed. _Well, back to square one..._

* * *

The longer Clay explored the Southern Savanna, the less hopeful he was of finding the Sandslash. When Pokémon weren't attacking him, he tried to ask them if they had seen the lost Pokémon. All had said they hadn't (or maybe they had, and just wouldn't tell Clay). By this point, the Excadrill had lost track of time. How long had he been out here? Hours? _Days?_

Now, Clay was very tired. Part of him warned that sleeping in a place like this was suicide, but the other part told him to take a nap. Clay decided to listen to the other half, and so he walked towards a nearby tree. It was shady enough, so he figured it was as good as any place. He sat down against the tree trunk, savoring his respite from the now burning sun, and let his eyes droop. It would be nice to take a short break...

Then, just as he was about to drift into slumber, something caught Clay's eye. At first, he thought he was imaging it, but yet...Clay tipped his head to one side, and saw it again. There, by a tree farther away, was a small glint of light. He forgot all about being tired as curiosity pulled at him. Clay followed the light to that tree, and soon he could tell just what it was that grabbed his attention.

Clay picked it up. It was a book- a small book, but seemed to have lots of pages. It had a dusky brown cover that was worn with age. Yet, there was a strange, silvery pattern on the cover. The pattern itself was that of a small, circle with a ruby in the middle and four silver points pointing in different directions; north, east, west, and south.

Clay figured this was what had shone before. He flipped through the yellowing pages. The book had multiple pictures- pictures of what Clay presumed to be Pokémon (not that he recognized them)- but the text was written in footprint runes, so he couldn't tell they said.

Then Clay saw what was on the back cover. First, words written in faded ink that read:

 _Property of Morrin_

This perplexed Clay. Who was Morrin? There was a good possibility that they were the owner of the book, but where were they? Then there was something else on that cover- a footprint. Not just any footprint; Clay could tell this was a _Sandslash_ footprint, based on the circular foot and the two toes. Yet, it seemed like it was made more recently than "Property of Morrin". Still, Clay couldn't help but think Sandslash and Morrin were the same Pokémon.

All this, then he noticed something else that was on the ground- footprints. Footprints that matched the one on the back cover. Not to mention they were made EXTREMELY recently- maybe in the last hour or so! This got Clay excited; finally, after all this time, he may _finally_ find this mysterious Sandslash! Wasting no time, he pocketed the book, pinpointed where the footprints were going- northeast- and sprinted in said direction.

Although the footprints faded after a little while, Clay could still scent where Sandslash was going. Then, he soon scented something else as he came to an open clearing. Something...singed. Odd. Clay couldn't see smoke, so nothing could be burning...so where was the charred smell coming from?

"Grrrrrrr..."

The low growl interrupted Clay's thoughts. He slowly turned around, afraid of what was behind him, then saw the dark brown pelt, lighter brown legs, and long, flowing red and gold mane of a female Pyroar. Her azure eyes were laced with rage as she bared her fangs at Clay. Then, three more appeared behind her, all growling.

"Umm...hi?" Clay greeted with a sheepish wave. The Pyroar didn't take too kindly to that, and all four of them unsheathed their claws and pounced. Clay yelped in terror and shot a Focus Blast at one, causing her to fall to the ground, then turned and ran. He tried going back the way he came, but was cut off by two more Pyroar.

Clay turned and ran again, this time towards the clearing. Clay had a sneaking suspicion that this was the end of the Dungeon, but he didn't care- he just wanted to escape. He cut in between two trees and jumped behind a cluster of shrubs. He then formed a drill again and dug beneath the ground.

Clay didn't know how long he had been hiding underground, but eventually the sound of the Pyroars' footsteps faded. He emerged from his hiding spot, seeing that they had, in fact, left. Even so, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were still hunting for him. With that, Clay turned back the way he came and prepared to leave...when he saw something. It was some sort of pack...brown cloth and a single strap.

Hm. Clay must have missed that during the pursuit. He walked over to inspect it further, the noticed there was a large gash in its side. Taking a closer look, Clay realized that the size of the hole looked big enough for the book he found to fall out. To confirm this, Clay took out the book and slid it into the hole- it fit perfectly.

 _This...can't be a coincidence._ Clay thought. A book appearing in the savanna, footprints leading in this direction, and now this pack...actually, now that Clay looked around, the ground around his vicinity was scorched. Shrubs were burned, slashes were cut into the ground and the tree trunks, and the dirt was churned up. It looked like a battle had just taken place.

 _How in the world did I miss this?_ Clay thought. Well, at least it explained the burned smell. He smelled the air, and that's when be smelled something else. Clay recognized it- it was the smell of the footprints. Did that mean...no. No, that Sandslash couldn't be here. He couldn't see any yellow bodies, any large brown quills. Then again, where was the scent coming from?

Clay sniffed the air again. Yeah, it was strong...it seemed to lead...to Clay's right. He turned, and then saw something by a rock. He couldn't tell clearly, but whatever that was, it was yellow...and, were those claws? A sudden feeling of dread gripped Clay's heart. _No way...don't tell me that's..._

Dropping the bag, he rushed over to the rock to find out if his suspicions were right. When Clay got there, he learned he was right- the scent belonged to a Sandslash. Not just any Sandslash- Clay knew this had to be the Pokémon he was searching for. Although, she was in terrible condition. Sandslash was unconscious and had various slashes and bites all over her body, and terrible burns seared her skin. One of her arms was scorched completely black, and one ear had a notch in it.

Clay grimaced and quickly checked for a pulse. Luckily, he could feel one. _This is bad._ Clay thought. _I just know those Pyroar did this. I gotta get her out of here before they come back._

Too late, Clay felt a strong rise in heat behind him. He turned around, and came face-to-face with three of the Pyroar chasing him before. He backed up a little, but was met with the other three Pyroar (one of which was the one Clay had used Focus Blast on earlier). The Fire-type Pokémon bared their fangs and circled the Excadrill menacingly. He was surrounded.

Then, a loud roar cut through the area. The Pyroar stopped and turned around. Two of them stepped back, allowing a seventh Pokémon to arrive. This was a _male_ Pyroar- same brown fur, but it's mane was much bigger.

It seemed like an eternity before he finally spoke in a booming voice, "You, traveler. What gives you the right to come onto the territory of the Blazing Pride uninvited?"

Clay gulped. "Uh...hello there...I'm, uh, sorry for coming onto your territory, sir."

"'Sorry' will not save you," Pyroar replied coldly. "This savanna belongs to us...to ME, the great Blaze!"

The other Pyroar roared as their leader spoke his name. "To those that trespass...we will show NO MERCY!"

Clay's heart sank as the entire pride roared in unison, like one big war cry. He assumed this was what happened to the Sandslash- she had come here for some reason, and was defeated by the Blazing Pride. _Well, it's seven against one,_ he thought. _Th_ _at's hardly fair!_

"It seems that more Pokémon are trespassing on our land..." Blaze muttered, gesturing to Sandslash. "So, I'll make you a deal. If you, Ground Pokémon, can defeat us, then _both_ of you get to go free. If not, well...the Blazing Pride shall eat well tonight!"

Once again, Blaze's pride roared in anticipation, as if they couldn't wait to eat the unfortunate Pokémon. Clay knew he had no chance of winning. There were too many opponents to fight at once; they'd overpower him in no time. Then again...Sandslash needed his help, whether she was aware of it or not. He had come all this way...he couldn't just give up!

 _I have to try...I have to at least try!_ Clay thought. He raised his claws in a battle position, showing the Blazing Pride he had chosen to fight. Blaze smiled cruelly.

"Blazing Pride..." Blaze roared. His Pyroar got into their own battle positions. "ATTACK-"

"Well, ain't this a sight," a new voice interrupted. "Don't ya think seven against one is a little unfair?"

Clay recognized the voice, but he couldn't bring himself to believe it. It couldn't be...he turned around. There, standing face-to-face with Blaze, was the old Krokorok explorer.

It was Dune.

What was he doing here? The explorer made it very clear he wanted nothing to do with Clay's mission. What made Dune change his mind?

Blaze scowled. "What's it to you, intruder?"

" _Everything,"_ Dune replied. "Ya see, those two are coming with me. So, unless ya want these fangs in yer throats, yer all gonna let us through nice and easy."

Clay couldn't believe it. How was Dune talking to Blaze like that- wasn't he scared at all?

"Hm, a bold one," Blaze said. "And what if we _don't?"_

Dune scoffed. "Well, I don't think ya'll wanna know that. See, I know all about you and this pride of yours. I could take down each of you all by myself, and I'm just trying to make sure your little _ego_ doesn't get broken."

Blaze roared and stood to look Dune in the eye. " _Are you challenging me?"_

Clay was sure Dune would relent by this point, but the Krokorok just looked calmly on. "Look, I don't think yer listening. I'm just trying not to give ya'll any more trouble-"

Dune didn't get a chance to finish that sentence. Just then, Blaze lashed out at him, slashing his claws against Dune's snout. He staggered back as Blaze smiled with satisfaction. Clay flinched- how was Dune going to react this time? The Krokorok turned around, his eyes no longer having the calm shine in them- now they were burning with rage.

 _"Clay!"_ he yelled. The Excadrill turned in his direction. " _Brace yerself!"_

Clay didn't have time to ask what he meant. Dune raised his foot, and stomped it into the ground. Within seconds, the area erupted into violent shaking, which caused the Blazing Pride to panic and let out cries of pain. Clay knew what was happening- Dune was using Earthquake.

Before any Pokémon could recover, Dune let out a battle cry and flung himself at Blaze. His tail glowed with a silvery light, making it look like it was made of metal. Dune smashed an Iron Tail into the male Pyroar's face, knocking him backwards. The six other Pyroar roared in anger and lunged at Dune. Wasting no time, he ducked under one and fastened his jaws on her hind leg with Crunch. He then hurled her at a second Pyroar, sending them both crashing to the ground.

Another one launched herself forward with a Fire Fang, but Dune was fast enough to sidestep, causing the Royal Pokémon to bite one of her allies. Then, two more of the lionlike Fire-types aimed simultaneous Flamethrowers at the Krokorok, but Dune was still ready. He used the Rock-type move Stone Edge to blast through the fire, then striking both Pyroar hard.

Clay stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at Dune. He couldn't believe the old Krokorok was fighting the entire Blazing Pride single-handedly...and _winning!_ Clay had heard from the Pokémon in Alpha Town that Dune was a _spectacular_ fighter, but still! He himself had seen great explorers where he once lived, and yet Dune seemed to put them to shame!

As Clay watched, he realized Blaze himself was sneaking up behind Dune, ready to pounce. Clay was about to call out, but it seemed he didn't need it. Just as Blaze jumped, Dune turned unleashed another Stone Edge directly at him, sending him flying into a tree. The Krokorok then stormed over to the fallen Pokémon.

"Beat it," Dune snarled. "NOW!"

Blaze, hauling himself up, gave Dune one last angered glare before beckoning to the other Pyroar. He realized he had been defeated.

Once the Blazing Pride left, Dune walked over to Clay.

"Th-that was amazing!" Clay stammered, overtaken by awe. "Where did you learn to fight like that!?"

"You gonna ask questions, are you gonna help me with this?" Dune asked, kneeling down besides the Sandslash. "We gotta get this Pokémon back to town. C'mon!"

Dune took her badly burned arm and draped it over his shoulders. Clay took the hint and did the same with the other arm. His companion said nothing as they half-dragged half-carried the Sandslash through the grasslands. Together, they left Southern Savanna behind and returned to Alpha Town.

* * *

 **A/N: WOW. Okay, I did NOT intend this chapter to be this long. Then again, what was I expecting? This chapter _was_ a Dungeon one...matter of fact, I think you can expect nearly ALL the Dungeon chapters to be like this! Unless I decide to make it a multi-parter. Either way...I personally think this was a MAJOR improvement over the previous chapters! Do you think so? Do you think I need to change some stuff? Let me know! And I'll see you all in the next chapter! I shall see you there!**


	4. The Prophecy

**A/N: Hey, hey, hey! It's me again! Welcome to the latest chapter of Pokémon Legends! Sorry for the late update. School was happening (and a little bit of my own laziness...), but now that it's summer break, I hope to be able to update more often! So...**

 **Last time, the story was told in Clay's POV. This time, we're gonna be going back to Dune's POV! I'm not sure if I'll switch POVs again, but who knows? And speaking of this chapter, we're gonna learn a few more things about certain stuff we saw last time. What is it, you ask? Read on to find out!**

* * *

 **Review Replies:**

 _ **Dranicus101:**_ **Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: The Prophecy**

Dune had no idea what he was thinking. He had meant what he said before- he wanted nothing to do with Clay's quest. He had figured the Excadrill was totally crazy, going to the Dungeons by himself. Still, Duke managed to talk a bit of sense into him, and so Dune had set out to look for young Clay.

The Pokémon in Southern Savanna weren't very powerful. Not to him, anyways. Dune was able to get out of any skirmishes fairly quickly. Even so, he hadn't seen Clay at all until he made it to the end of the Dungeon. He didn't know what surprised him more- the fact that Clay was alive, the fact that he had found the Sandslash, or seeing him about to take on the entire Blazing Pride. Dune had heard about the band of Pyroar living in the Savanna, running around acting like they owned the place.

The Krokorok couldn't deny that it felt good to fight again...he couldn't deny that it felt nice to explore the unknown again, to go into a new environment and face challenges! The feeling he got when he set foot in that Dungeon...it was something Dune hadn't felt in _years._ Then, Dune shook the thoughts from his head. Nope, he gave up exploring for a reason, and there was no way he was going to change his mind.

Dune came to this conclusion as he and Clay brought the injured Sandslash to Cherry. Cherry was a Blissey, and she had a knack for healing sock or hurt Pokémon. That's why Dune trusted her to make sure the yellow Pokémon was properly healed. When that was done and he left the building, Clay had broken from his silence and proceeded to totally freak out over Dune's fighting.

"That was _amazing!_ You took down those Pyroar like they were nothing! You didn't even look scared!" he said.

"Probably 'cause I wasn't," Dune rumbled. "Trust me, I've seen _much_ worse things in the past."

"Really?" Clay asked. "Like what?"

"Not important," Dune replied, flicking his tail dismissively. "I gotta give ya credit, though- wasn't expecting you to actually make it to the end of the Dungeon."

"Well, it wasn't too hard," Clay stated. "The Pokémon there weren't too strong. Although, I think I might've been torn apart by the Pride if you hadn't come."

"Well, don't get used to it," Dune said dryly. "That was a one-time thing- I gave up exploring a long time ago, and I won't start up again now."

"Why not?" Clay asked.

"Again, not important," Dune replied. He looked up into the sky, which was turning dark, signifying it was almost night. "You got a place to sleep?"

"Yeah, it's at the other end of town," Clay answered, gesturing to the west of town.

"Well, good that. You outta get some sleep, what with everything that happened today," Dune suggested. Clay nodded in agreement and turned in the direction he said before. It wasn't until Dune had walked two feet that Clay spoke again.

"You know, you really _should_ consider exploring again. I'm sure no Pokémon would want to fight you in the wild!" Clay remarked.

"I'll think about it," Dune lied. He began to leave once again, and then Clay said something that made him snarl in anger.

"Hey, was it when you fought a REALLY big Pokémon that you got those scars?"

Dune knew Clay was referring to the long, jagged scars that ran down his back. He knew the Excadrill meant nothing bad by asking, but Dune still hated it when Pokémon mentioned his scars.

"Weren't you paying attention?" he growled, choking down fury. " _Not important."_

Dune didn't stay to see Clay's reaction. He just walked to his house without another word.

* * *

That night, Dune dreamed.

He was standing on a platform composed of large stars. The sky around him was also made of clouds that were different shades of red and purple.

 _'Kay...what's going on here?_ Dune wondered. He looked around, trying to make out where he was. That's when he heard the voice.

" **You have arrived. The three have arrived."** it said. Dune couldn't tell where the voice was coming from, but whoever it belonged to, the voice radiated with power.

"Hey, who are you!?" Dune called, his eyes darting back and forth. "C'mon, show yerself!"

The voice didn't respond in the way Dune expected, however. The air seemed to crackle with energy until the voice spoke again.

 **"Three bodies of land, rise or fall by darkness hand.**

 **A storm arise, a shadow in the skies.**

 **A legend's wrath, send the world on a dark path."**

Now, Dune was _really_ confused. "What the-? Darkness hand? A legend's wrath? What're you talkin' about!?"

But the stranger's voice said nothing else as the strange landscape faded away to blackness, signifying the end of the dream.

* * *

Dune awoke to the sound of the ocean. He shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. That dream...what did it mean? How did that voice belong to? And what was it talking about? The way it spoke... _What was it telling me?_ Dune wondered. _What was it trying to say?_

These thoughts rang in Dune's head as he strolled into town. He looked up at the sky. _A storm arise._ Well, last time Dune checked, it wasn't supposed to rain at all this week. _Heh, maybe I'm getting worried over nothing. It was just a dumb dream. Doesn't mean a thing._ Dune chuckled at his own paranoia and continued on. He couldn't wait to share a laugh over it with Duke, maybe see how Clay would react if he were there-

"Excuse me! You- yeah, the Krokorok!"

Dune looked around. Who had just spoken to him? It wasn't a voice he recognized, but it was clearly talking to him...

"Hey- over here! I need to talk to you!" the voice sounded again. This time, Dune could tell where it was coming from. He turned in the direction of the Northern half of Alpha Town.

"Hah! Good, I got your attention!"

"Get back here right now, missy!"

Dune recognized the second voice as Cherry the Blissey, the town's doctor. He saw the Happiness Pokémon pursuing a second Pokémon. He immediately recognized the yellow body and brown quills of a Sandslash. That must've been who the first voice belonged to her!

"I said _get back here!"_ Cherry commanded. "You're not well enough to be out!"

The Sandslash turned her head to face Cherry. "I'm out right now, aren't I? And I'm perfectly fine!"

Dune had to admit- she looked perfectly fine right now...well, aside from the bandaged arm and leg. Indeed, yesterday the Sandslash looked pretty much _dead_ after being attacked by the Blazing Pride. Now she seemed as healthy as a Ducklett.

"Don't get smart with me, you still need to rest!" Cherry said, finally catching up to the Mouse Pokémon. Dune decided now was as good as any time to finally speak to this strange Pokémon.

"Hey there, Cherry," Dune said, walking up to the pink Pokémon. "Having a bit of trouble?"

Cherry brightened. "Hello Dune. I'm just having a little trouble with a patient of mine, that's all."

"I told you," the Sandslash insisted. "I'm fine now! You can stop watching me like a hawk now."

"I am NOT watching you like a hawk!" Cherry shouted.

"Er, hey, Cherry. What if I kept an eye on her for a little bit?" Dune offered.

"Oh, are you sure?" Cherry asked.

"Course I am," Dune replied.

"Well...okay then." Cherry said, walking back to the first-aid center.

"She's a nice doctor and all," the Sandslash spoke. "But she can be a little bit..."

"Protective?" Dune finished for her. "Yeah, she can be like that with all her patients, but she's like that 'cause she cares."

The Sandslash shrugged. "So. You and some Excadrill are the ones who saved me, huh?"

Dune nodded. "Well, it was mostly Clay- the Excadrill- but I helped more at the end."

"Okay," she replied. "Well, I'd better properly introduce myself. My name's Horizon."

"Name's Dune," Dune answered. "If ya don't mind me asking, what exactly where you doing out there all by yerself?"

"Um, I'll explain everything," Horizon assured, "but I think the Excadrill- sorry, Clay- should be here to hear it too."

Dune nodded. Then, as if the words had summoned him, Clay strolled up to the two of them.

"Good morning, Dune!" he greeted. Dune simply flicked his tail in greeting. Horizon turned to see him.

"Hi there," she said with a wave. "You must be Clay."

"Hey, you're that Sandslash we helped yesterday!" Clay remarked. "You seem to be doing much better now than when me and Dune found you."

Horizon frowned. "Yeah...I can guess I looked pretty bad..."

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to-" Clay quickly apologized.

"It's alright. I'm sure you didn't mean anything bad by it," Horizon assured him.

"M'kay, now that introductions are outta the way, can you tell is what you were actually doing out in Southern Savanna?" Dune asked.

"You really don't mess around, do you?" Horizon asked. "Okay, I'll tell you the whole story."

"You see, I've always been really interested in the myths of the Legendary Pokémon. I've been researching them for a long time now, and I've always wanted to see one, just to see for myself that they're not myths," she explained.

Dune scoffed. "Well then, you came to a bad place to find that. Even if the Legendary Pokémon _did_ exist, and I personally don't think they do, it's said they haven't been seen around these parts for hundreds of years."

"Well, yeah," Horizon nodded. "But that's where my book comes in."

Clay gasped as though he had just remembered something. "You mean _this_ book?"

Dune was surprised when Clay took out what appeared to be an old, tattered book. He was also surprised when Horizon's eyes widened at it.

"What? I didn't even know I lost it!" Horizon said.

"Yeah, I think it fell out of your pack while you were out there," Clay replied.

"Well, thanks for finding it!" Horizon said, taking it back.

"So, what's so special about that book?" Dune asked.

" _Everything!"_ Horizon replied sharply. "Take a look at this!"

She opened the book to a few pages, each depicting different pictures of what Dune assumed to be Pokémon. Pokémon Dune and Clay didn't recognize.

"Legendary Pokémon possess all sorts of abilities. The power to create immense storms, raise the continents and oceans, scorch the world with fire, even controlling time and space!" Horizon explained, getting increasingly excited. "These Pokémon can do _anything,_ they have powers that we only dream of having!"

Clay stared incredulously at the pages. "Wow..."

"Well, that's certainly fascinating," Dune remarked. "But there's no way Pokémon like that exist!"

"I'm sure they do!" Horizon insisted. "And now, look at this."

She turned to a page towards the back of the book. On this page, and going over to the page adjacent to it, was a full map of Pokéa, with some parts on the map marked with a red triangle.

"Huh?" Dune asked. "How come there's a map of the entire island in there?"

Horizon shrugged. "Beats me, but I figured it must be there for a reason. So, that's why I came here."

Dune nodded. That's when Clay asked, "So then, did Morrin give you that book?"

"Morrin? Oh!" Horizon looked on the inside cover where Clay had seen Morrin's name. "Uh, not exactly."

"Did ya steal it?" Dune asked.

"What the-!? NO!" Horizon shouted. "You see, a few weeks ago, I was going for a little walk through a forest trail when I found it hidden by some tree roots. There was no scent around it, and no trace of any Pokémon, so I just decided to keep it."

"And nobody named Morrin asked for it back?" Clay asked.

Horizon shook her head. "Nope. Nobody wanted it back. But I figured that, if there was a map of Pokéa in here, then there has to be something important here."

"What about those markings on the page?" Clay asked, pointing to the triangle markings.

"I don't know about that either," Horizon admitted. "But I was on my way to that one outside of Southern Savanna."

Horizon pointed to a triangle outside of said Dungeon.

"That's...Silver Bay," Dune stated. "Why is marked, though?"

"If I don't know about the marks in general," Horizon deadpanned. "What makes you think I'd know why _that area_ is marked?"

"Oh, well _excuse me_ Miss Sass," Dune retorted with a glare.

"'Miss Sass'? Is that seriously the best comeback you can come up with?" Horizon challenged.

"I can come up with much worse than that!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"Would ya now?"

"Guys!" Clay called. "Stop arguing, it's causing a storm!"

"Huh?" Horizon looked up, only to see the sky dark with storm clouds. Dune noticed it too.

"That ain't how storms work, boy!" Dune said, irritated.

"Weird...I didn't know it was supposed to rain today..." Horizon stated.

"It's...not," Dune pointed out. Suddenly the words from his dream came back to him.

 _A storm arise_... It couldn't be talking about this storm in particular, could it?

As Dune surveyed the town, different residents were now staring at the sky, fear ad confusion on their faces.

"What in the world is happening?"

"It's not supposed to rain today!"

"There hasn't been any kind of bad weather in a long time!"

"Why is this happening?"

The confused conversations went from Pokémon to Pokémon. Dune even saw Duke watching the clouds, and even he looked clueless. That's when Clay yelped in terror.

"I saw something! There was something in the clouds!" he shouted. Dune and Horizon looked up, and then lightning flickered. Suddenly there it was- a massive figure soaring through the air, silhouetted in the dark clouds. Rain fell as it passed again.

"What...is...that?" Horizon whispered, fear clearly visible in her voice. But Dune paid no attention to anything else. All he could hear was the line spoken by the powerful voice...

 _A storm arise, a shadow in the skies._

"Holy..." Dune started. He couldn't finish the thought, though.

Because, just then, a furious roar tore through the air.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh look, suspense! Great place to leave off! You can probably guess what's gonna happen next time, right? You bet- SUPER AMAZING BATTLE WITH SOMETHING AWESOME! I'm sure you can't wait to see it, right? And I'm sure you have more questions...such as:**

 **Who is Morrin? What is the meaning behind the strange prophecy in Dune's dream? What was the strange shadow in the storm clouds? These and more will be answered..maybe not next chapter, but AT SOMETHING POINT! I SHALL SEE YOU NEXT TIME!**


	5. Shadow in the Skies

**A/N: Hey. Guess what? New chapter! YAY! I, uh...I haven't updated recently because my family kinda went on a surprise vacation, so I haven't has much time to write. Though, I HAVE been working, progress is just a little slow, that's all.**

 **So, what can you expect to see this time around? Well, an epic fight scene, more bickering between Dune and Horizon, some answers to questions that only create _more_ questions, and a bunch of other stuff! I hope you enjoy this new chapter! **

* * *

_**Dranicus101:**_ **Really? You haven't seen it before in any other story? Huh. Also, you're about to see if that prediction of yours is correct!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Shadow in the Skies**

It was at that very moment that all pandemonium broke loose.

The residents of Alpha Town all fled in various directions. Some sped into any open buildings they could enter, others just ran around in sheer panic. Another roar erupted from the shadow, and then it suddenly swooped down, soaring low on the ground at high speed.

"DUCK!" Clay screamed as the mysterious figure soared towards them. Dune and Horizon obeyed, and it flew over their heads with a strong _whoosh!_ Dune looked up at where the creature had flown, and gulped when he saw it.

Though it was still silhouette against the dark sky, Dune could still make out a few details. For one thing, the shadow resembled that of a dragon and a bird. It had a long neck, and it's head appeared to be pointed. It had large wings...or were those hands? Dune eventually decided they were hand-wings (because the wings looked like hands). Anyways, it had a long tail, which looked like it had two spikes o the end. What really got Dune's attention, however, was the fact that it had two piercing, red eyes, each one with a spike above it similar to the ones on the tail.

It roared again (revealing it had a pair of pointed teeth on its lower jaw), and it swooped down again. This time, it flew around wildly before finally landing with a crash onto the path below.

"Oh...my..." Horizon whispered, staring wide-eyed at the being that now stood before them. Dune could now see that it had silvery-white, sleek skin and a blue underbelly. The spikes on its eyes and tail were also blue. He could also tell there were two rows blue plates on its back. He could now clearly see that it's wings did, in fact, resemble hands. Dune could also tell that its eyes had a glowing red haze over them, which he assumed wasn't normal.

"Th-that's..." Horizon stammered. She quickly flipped through the book (which was in surprisingly good shape, considering it was pouring out), and then she stopped with a gasp.

"What!?" Clay called. " _What is that thing!?"_

"It's a Pokémon!" Horizon answered. "Not just any Pokémon...that's-"

Horizon couldn't finish that sentence, however. Just then, the silver Pokémon raised one of its wings, which began to glow with a purplish-black light.

"Move!" Dune ordered. "It's using-"

It slammed it's wing into the ground where Horizon was standing. Luckily, she dove out of the way, but winced at the pain in her injured leg and arm.

"-Punishment," Dune finished with a sigh.

"Can somebody PLEASE tell me what's happening?" Clay pleaded, ducking as the Pokémon swiped its tail at him.

"That's a _Legendary Pokémon!"_ Horizon exclaimed, her voice shaking with both terror and excitement.

"That's a WHAT?" Dune cried in disbelief.

"A Legendary!" Horizon repeated. "It's known as the "Guardian of the Sea"...WE'RE BEING ATTACKED BY LUGIA!"

Lugia? That was a name? Dune could hardly believe what he was seeing. A Legendary Pokémon...a real one, was right there. He was standing behind it!

"I...I don't believe it!" Dune shouted.

"How can you not!?" Horizon yelled. "It's standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!"

"Well I can see that!" Dune retorted. "But I can't believe that...Legendary Pokémon are REAL!"

"Then wake up and smell the roses, because Lugia's gonna destroy the whole town!" Horizon answered.

"What's a Lugia?" Clay asked, joining Dune and Horizon.

"Like I said, Lugia's know as the Guardian of the Sea. It's said to be able to create storms lasting forty days, just by using its wings!" Horizon read from her book.

As if to prove her point, lightning flashed and the rain poured down harder. Lugia roared in outrage once more, then its eyes began to glow gold .

"Get back!" Dune shouted. Clay and Horizon jumped back as Lugia fired a multicolored beam at the Krokorok, hitting him dead on.

"Dune!" Clay shouted, concerned. Dune, although knocked back, immediately landed on his feet and appeared unscathed by the attack.

"Hah. For a doggone god Pokémon, it really doesn't know anything about types, does it?" Dune inquired with a confident grin. Indeed, Extrasensory was a Psychic-type attack, but since he was part Dark-type, the move had no effect on him. "Now, watch and learn!"

Dune ran forward straight to Lugia, who attempted to squash him by stomping. Dune managed to sidestep in time and got behind Lugia in order to deliver a powerful Crunch to the Diving Pokémon's tail.

While it was a decent tactic, he hadn't fully planned out the attack, as Lugia growled, and raised its tail- with Dune still latched to it. Too late, he realized what was about to happen. The Legendary Pokémon slammed its tail into the ground, earning a muffled cry of pain from Dune. Lugia repeated thus several times before finally launching the Krokorok into the air.

"Overconfidence can get you killed..." Horizon muttered, running around to Lugia's side. Her claws began to glow, and she slashed at the silver Pokémon in a cross motion- X-Scissor.

Lugia, furious, turned and unleashed Hydro Pump, firing the massive beam of water at her. Panicked, Horizon burrowed underground using Dig, avoiding the attack. Clay took this as an opportunity to fight, and fired a Focus Blast at Lugia's left wing. The move hit its mark, but enraged Lugia again.

The huge Pokémon ran at Clay, spitting fury, and raised its wing with another Punishment. Clay attempted to dodge, but the attack grazed his feet and sent him tumbling back to the ground. In its eagerness to attack Clay, however, Lugia had forgotten about one Pokémon: Dune, who was now plummeting back to the ground after being launched by the Legendary.

The Krokorok, after regaining his senses, noticed he had a clear shot of Lugia's back. With that, he charged up a Stone Edge and fired the stones at his opponent. The rocks struck Lugia's back, just as Dune has hoped they would, and allowed Clay to deliver a strong Metal Claw to its belly before diving away.

As Dune landed on the ground, Horizon ran up to him. "Um...how long were you up there, exactly?" she asked gesturing to the sky.

Dune looked up. How long _had_ he been up there? Eventually, he just shrugged. "Don't know, don't quite care."

"Uh...what's it doing now?" Clay asked, fear clear in his voice. When Dune looked to see what was happening, he saw Lugia's body glowing blue, and a Sphere of blue energy materializing in its mouth.

"That's..." Horizon began before stopping to think, as if trying to remember something. Then, her eyes grew wide. "THE REASON WE NEED TO DUCK!"

"Wait, why-" Dune and Clay asked simultaneously, but we're interrupted when Lugia blasted a massive, powerful vortex of swirling wind at the two of them. Heeding Horizon's warning, they ducked to avoid being hit. The beam soared past them, putting a huge crater in the ground a few feet behind them.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?" Clay cried, staring at the crater. Before he could get an answer, Lugia wasted no time launching another Extrasensory at the confused Pokémon. While the attack mat not hurt Dune, Clay knew he'd be in for some serious hurt if the attack hit.

Thinking fast, Clay used Aerial Ace to move swiftly away from the psychic beam, and even managed to hit Lugia during that. However, the Legendary spun and slammed its tail into Clay, hurtling him into a nearby building.

Thinking fast, Horizon ran behind Lugia and rammed into it with a high-speed spin. Dune recognized this as Gyro Ball. Using that as a distraction, he slammed and Iron Tail into the Legendary's neck. As soon as Lugia faced Dune, Horizon hurled herself onto its back and delivered multiple slices of X-Scissor.

Lugia roared in pain and flew high into the air, with Horizon still on it. Once it was high enough, it began to fly around erratically, attempting to fling the Sandslash off its back. However, she was holding on firmly...even if she most likely was about to be sick to her stomach.

Dune, who was watching the flailing Pokémon from the ground, was attempting to hit it with Stone Edge, but was having no such luck. "Stupid thing is flying too fast! I can't get a hit on it!"

Clay emerged from where he had been launched. "Leave it to me!"

As Lugia swooped down, spinning, Clay charged up a Focus Blast, aiming for its head. Right when Lugia was above him, Clay launched the attack, which hit its target right in the jaw. The blow caused Lugia to jerk its head up and stop abruptly, giving Horizon the chance to slip off its back unharmed, but slightly dizzy.

Lugia stopping also gave Dune the chance to unleash an onslaught of Stone Edges at his dazed opponent. As soon as this happening, the Legendary regained its focus and blasted Dune with another Hydro Pump, which a he luckily dodged. At this, Lugia attacked with Punishment, but the Krokorok countered with Iron Tail. This knocked him back and kicked up a cloud of dust, giving Lugia the opportunity to attack Dune with another Aeroblast. Before the attack could be launched though, Clay and Horizon both jumped up behind Lugia.

"EAT THIS, JERK!" Horizon shouted as she slammed her arm into its back with a powerful Brick Break. Clay also lashed out with Aerial Ace, slashing at Lugia's back furiously.

With one last burst of energy, Dune hurled himself at his foe at bit it with a strong Crunch. The attack hit Lugia in the neck, causing it to crash into the ground with a resounding _boom!_

Clay walked up to the unconscious Pokémon warily. "Did we...win?"

Then, Lugia's body began to glow with a bright blue light. It opened its eyes, which were now glowing in the same color. As if nothing has happened, it got up, ignoring the staring eyes of the trio. It spread its wings and let out another roar, only this time it didn't sound angry. It took off into the sky, and disappeared into the distance. With that, Horizon had only one thing to say...

" _What the heck was that!?"_ she shouted. "I mean, I always wanted to meet a Legendary, but not like _that!"_

Clay shrugged. "I don't know. But on the bright side, the storm's clearing up!"

Sure enough, the dark clouds that blanketed the sky were now disappearing, allowing the sun to shine through the openings.

"Yeah, but that doesn't explain what happened!" Horizon exclaimed. "I mean, why in the world would Lugia just randomly appear out of nowhere and try to destroy the town? It makes no sense!"

Dune agreed with her. It _did_ seem a little odd that a Legendary Pokémon, who hadn't been seen in the world for thousands of years, would just suddenly show up and attack everything. But then, Dune wasn't really paying attention to what Horizon was saying. He had something else on his mind.

The prophecy. The one that had been spoken to him by that strange voice just last night. Dune didn't know how it was possible, but most of the things said on it had come true. _"Three bodies of land"_ was probably referring to him, Clay, and Horizon- _three_ Ground-type Pokémon, and "ground" could also mean land. _"A storm arise"_ must have been predicting the storm Lugia had created, and the lines _"A shadow in the skies"_ and _"A legend's wrath"_ were probably talking about Lugia itself and it's attack on Alpha Town.

Even so, the lines _"Rise or fall by darkness hand"_ and _"Send the world on a dark path_ _"_ still unnerved Dune. After all, he couldn't see how any of that had happened yet. Did that mean they were still to come? Was Lugia's furious attack the beginning of something even _bigger?_ He glanced at Clay and Horizon, who were still deep in their discussion. He debated with himself whether or not to tell them about his strange dream.

 _No,_ Dune decided. _If I told them a mystery voice in my dream predicted the future and told me this would happen, they'd think I'm crazier than a Teddiursa in a sugar rush...besides, I've only know Clay for a day, and Horizon for half a day! We ain't exactly best friends forever..._

Dune decided there was only one Pokémon he could talk to about this. Without letting Clay and Horizon know what he was doing, he swerved past the confused and frightened Pokémon and sped off to Soprano's Café.

* * *

 **A/N: Yep, the Pokémon of the day was Lugia! And it seems that, as more questions are answered, more are _created._ Just another day in the life of a decent fanfic! Seriously, I really liked how this chapter turned out, and I hope you did, too! And next time, we'll learn a little bit more about the situation with the Legendary Pokémon. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the next one will be up soon! Well, as soon as I can make it, anyways. My progress is a little slow right now, remember? **

**Just remember- be patient, and you shall be rewarded with more stuff to read! Until then...goodbye!**


	6. A Mystery Unfolds

**A/N: Would you look at that? The next chapter of Pokémon Legends! I told you your patience would be rewarded, and here's your reward! A new chapter. BE HAPPY.**

 **Now, what happened last chapter? Well, the little voice in Dune's head can predict the future, Lugia has anger issues, and STORMS! Fun, right? And today, we're gonna learn a little more about what's going on with the Legendary Pokémon. Will it clear things up? Probably, but you'll probably have more questions...but hey, that means I'm doing something right! Right?**

* * *

 **Review Replies:**

 _ **Imagination is king:**_ **I remembered that Teddiursa usually like sweets or something like that...I don't know, I couldn't think of anything else...don't quote me on this, I'M PROBABLY WRONG! DON'T BE AFRAID TO RANT IF I AM! Also, thanks for reviewing!**

 ** _Dranicus101:_ I had a feeling you thought Zekrom. Eh, I can understand why, and you're probably not the only one who did. I mean, both Lugia and Zekrom are storm-related. Either way, thanks for the review!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: A Mystery Unfolds**

Dune walked into the café, observing the many scared and confused Pokémon within. He paid no attention to them, however. There was only one Pokémon he was looking for, and he happened to be in his usual spot, appearing unaffected by what had just happened.

Duke, like the rest of Alpha Town, had enough sense to hide inside during the storm to avoid a good soaking. It seemed that the Houndoom had the most reason to avoid rain- he was part Fire-type.

"Duke," Dune called. Duke glanced at him, and flicked his tail in greeting.

"No need to say anything," Duke said as Dune sat down. "Saw the whole thing. Or at least what I could from in here."

Dune nodded. "That was a Legendary Pokémon, Duke. A _real_ one, flesh and blood. I never really thought they existed...just that they were old stories told to scare kids at night."

Duke shrugged. "I understand that. I myself neither believed in them...nor _disbelieved_ them. I always thought that, while the stories of the Legendaries seemed somewhat incredulous, they held a small spark of truth to me."

"Well, I get that," Dune replied. "Here's what I _don't_ get- Legendary Pokémon have never been seen in Pokéa for THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of years. Pokémon began to think they just never existed, that they were just myths."

Duke nodded in response.

"So then...why did one come back all of a sudden? No warning or nothin'- just BOOM. What're we supposed to make of that?"

Duke frowned and stared off, lost in thought. Finally, he replied, "Ask yourself this, Dune. Since Legendary Pokémon do, in fact, exist...why did they leave in the first place? Where have they been for so many years? And, the obvious, why are they returning now?"

Dune frowned. "I got this really bad feeling, Duke. Like...this is only the beginning. I mean, _god Pokémon_ returning and doing who knows what kinda damage. That _can't_ be good for Pokéa, right?"

"You're right, it can't," Duke agreed. "What we saw today only confirms that. And I agree; if one Legendary returned, who's to say the others won't."

Others. More Legendaries. What _would_ happen if they came back? _Bad things, that's what._ Dune thought grimly. Now, there was one more thing he needed to discuss with Duke- the dream.

"Something else...the night before, I had this dream where-"

"DUNE!" someone yelled. Dune looked to see a frantic Clay standing in the doorway, calling out to him. "THERE'S SOMETHING OUTSIDE! IT'S BIG, BRIGHT, AND REALLY SUSPICIOUS!"

Dune facepalmed. Why did Clay insist on being so loud in public like this? Especially when it attracted _attention_ to him, one of the things he got enough of throughout his life?

"C'MON, YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!" Clay shouted as he suddenly appeared next to Dune and proceeded to drag him out of the building, with Duke calmly following.

"What's going on _now?"_ Dune muttered shaking his head. When he made it to the far eastern section of Alpha Town, it appeared that half the town was staring at something in the distance.

"Did you find him?" Horizon called.

"Yup!" Clay replied, stopping beside her.

Horizon glared at Dune. "And where exactly did _you_ disappear off to? One minute you're standing next to us, then you're gone!"

"Whatever, Mom," Dune replied irritably. "Just tell me what the heck is going on."

Horizon gestured forward. "See for yourself."

Dune looked up, and was shocked by what he saw. In the far distance, emerging from the mountain peaks, was a tall pillar of swirling, bright, golden light. It sprouted high into the clouds, until it finally vanished from sight. But when it did, Dune couldn't deny the powerful energy that seemed to surge in his body for a couple of seconds before that, too, disappeared.

" _What is happening todaaaaay!?"_ Clay shouted into the sky. "First Lugia, and now whatever THAT was! WHAT'S NEXT, AN EARTHQUAKE? METEORS?"

"Clay," Horizon said as she slapped him. "Get a grip. It's not the end of the world."

 _Not yet._ Dune thought glumly. He then perked up. _Hey, wait a sec...I think I know where that light came from._

Dune walked away and took out his map. It was old and tattered, but he could still make out the picture of Pokéa in all its entirety. He traced a finger from Alpha Town to the direction of the light until he came to one location.

"Clay. Horizon. Over here," Dune called. The two walked over to see what was up. "I think I figured out where our light came from."

"You did?" Clay asked.

"Yup. Take a look." Dune pointed to a spot on the map that was around where the light came from.

"Okay...you want us to go look into it?" Clay asked fearfully.

"Why shouldn't you?" Duke inquired, joining them. "Since this happened so soon after Lugia, I think the two events may be connected somehow. You should go see if that's right."

Horizon blinked. "I'm sorry, you are...?"

"Duke. He's a friend of mine," Dune answered as Duke dipped his head in greeting.

"Oh. Okay then," Horizon replied with a nod. "I guess that makes sense. Us going to find out what that light was...I'm in!"

"Wait, what about injuries from the Blazing Pride?" Clay asked, eyeing Horizon's slightly tattered bandages. The Sandslash only glared at him I'm annoyance.

"I JUST HELPED WIN AGAINST A LEGENDARY POKÉMON. I'M PRETTY SURE I CAN HANDLE A BIT OF TRAVELING." she growled. Clay backed off, slightly frightened.

"Well then. Now that that's outta the way, let's get going," Dune ordered.

"Does this mean you're getting back into exploring again?" Clay asked, smiling. Dune almost stopped dead. He hadn't even realized he was about to go into _another_ Mystery Dungeon. He sighed. _So much for never going back there..._

"Hold on," Horizon said, stopping. "If we're going somewhere, I'd like to know what 'somewhere' is called, please."

Dune sighed. "Never been there myself, but I'm pretty sure it's called Rainbow Summit."

* * *

 **A/N: And with that, we've figured out where our trio's next stop is! Duke gave us some interesting stuff to think about, so go and THINK. Also, nervous breakdown. FUN, RIGHT? Yeah, you know it is. So, next time we get another Dungeon chapter, and you know what that means? LONGER chapter which will take LONGER to write, making a LONGER waiting time. Hey, this chapter was short though, let's focus on that...**

 **Anywho, I hoped you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time! Bye-bye!**


	7. Rainbow Summit

**A/N: YESH. IT'S DONE, IT'S HERE, WHOO! *confetti rains down* Thank you all for being so patient, I know it was a long wait, but I think you'll like this chapter! But what happened** ** _last_** **chapter, you ask? Well, to recap, Duke gave us stuff to think about, Horizon was her slightly sassy self, and Clay had a nervous breakdown! FUN, RIGHT?**

 **Well, this chapter Dune, Clay, and Horizon travel to Rainbow Summit to discover the cause of the strange gold light they saw...is it connected to Lugia's violent appearance in Alpha Town? READ ON TO FIND OUT!**

* * *

 **Review Replies:**

 ** _Imagination_ _is_ _king:_ ...Well. I guess you gotta blame SOMETHING, right? XD**

 ** _Dranicus101:_ Well, I hope you're ready indeed! Like Southern Savanna, this chapter's gonna be LONG. Get the popcorn! **

* * *

**Chapter 7: Rainbow Summit**

During the trip to Rainbow Summit, Clay and Horizon occupied themselves in the most logical way possible- gossiping about Dune.

"So, he hasn't been out exploring in _years?"_ Horizon asked, shocked.

"Uh-huh," Clay replied.

"But...do you know why?"

"Nope! It's kinda a hush-hush topic with him."

"Well, _clearly..."_

Dune found it almost amusing how the two talked as if he couldn't hear them. Dune just shrugged- his week was already taking a turn for the strange, Pokémon talking about him was the most normal thing yet!

" _Single-handedly?"_ he heard Horizon shout. "Okay, now I'm embarrassed. I gotta single-handedly take down an enemy to balance out the universe now!"

"Good luck!" Clay chuckled. "Not sure you could one-up what Dune did."

While they talked, Dune paid close attention to the map, making sure they were going in the right direction. The _last_ thing they needed was to get lost in the twisting, stone trails that weaved around the mountains. Who knew what stuff could jump out at you at night?

 _Well,_ I _do, but that's besides the point._ Dune thought. Then, he heard several footsteps moving quickly towards him, Clay, and Horizon. Dune looked up to see a group of six small Pokémon walking down the trail. These Pokémon had a black torso with two small blades on each side, connected by metal ribs. Their round heads were red and black with a large silver blade protruding from them. They had thin red arms that each ended with a long blade instead of hands, and their legs were also thin and red. They had gray faces with yellow eyes.

Yes, there was no doubt in Dune's mind- these Pokémon were Pawniards. But what was a whole group of them doing here? At first, he thought they were about to challenge him and the others to a fight, until he noticed they didn't seem interested in the trio. In fact, Dune could tell the Pawniards didn't even acknowledge in any way the presence of the three Ground-types.

Well...that was until one of them ran into the Krokorok, causing him to stagger back. Dune could've sworn he heard the sound of paper tearing as well.

"Hey, what gives?" Dune shouted, glaring at the Pawniard. Then, something on the ground caught his eye. A small piece of paper that appeared to have been torn from a much bigger piece. The Pawniard reached for it, but was too late to stop Dune from snatching it from the ground. He gave the small black Pokémon one last death glare, sending him running back to his friends.

"What?" Clay spoke up. "Who were those guys?"

Horizon shrugged. "Pawniards, but I'm not sure what a group of them are doing here. Hey, Dune, what's that?"

Dune studied the paper. All that was on it was what appeared to be a point on a location in the ocean, so he assumed this was part of a map. A fragment of an arrow pointed from one unknown location to the point, then another line (probably a second arrow) pointed somewhere to the south. However, because this was only a small piece, Dune was unsure where the arrows were coming from and pointing to.

He eventually decided now wasn't the best time to figure that out. He answered, "No idea."

Dune put the paper in his bag before continuing up the trail to Rainbow Summit.

* * *

"We have to climb _that?"_ Clay asked, exasperated.

Horizon frowned. "It's a _mountain._ What did you expect?"

"I know, but..." Clay grimaced. "I don't really do well with heights..."

Dune groaned. "Hey, YER the one who said ya wanted an adventure!"

"Yeah..." Clay lowered his head.

"Oh, come on, it's not like you'll be by yourself," Horizon pointed out. Then, she added with an amused smile, "Do you want me to hold your hand?"

"What- NO!" Clay shouted indignantly before running onto the steep path that led up the mountain. Horizon stifled a giggle before following.

Dune looked up, observing the mountain. Rainbow Summit's name spoke for itself- the gold-tinged stones appeared to reflect the vast rainbows that shone all around it. There were lots of rainbows.

"Is it possible for one place to be this colorful?" Dune muttered. He followed Horizon up the path.

"Hey, look!" Clay shouted. "I found a cave!"

Horizon and Dune caught up to the Excadrill and stood in front of the yawning mouth of a cavern. It seemed to lead inside of the mountain, with a stone path stretching ahead of them.

Finally, Dune spoke. "Well, what're we waiting for?" He entered the cave, with Clay and Horizon close behind.

It wasn't exactly dark; Dune was able to make out where the path went, and the same goldish rock that made up the cave walls. The path veered to the left, then opened up into a large chamber. Two more caves revealed paths- one ahead of them, and one to the right.

"Hm...which one do we go into?" Horizon pondered eyeing the two paths. Her thoughts were interrupted when two angry cries pierced the air.

"GET OUT!"

"STAY OUTTA OUR CAVE!"

Two shadows swooped down on the trio. Both Pokémon were blue and batlike, with purple on the underside of their wings and huge, gaping mouths. These Pokémon were Golbats, and they weren't happy about three random intruders coming into the chamber.

They both lashed out with Air Slash, but Horizon dodged and took them both out with Gyro Ball.

Clay walked up to the path in front of them. "Let's try this one!" he suggested.

Horizon shook her head. "No way, the one on the right's gotta be the one!"

"Okay, hold up. Before this turns into some doggone big argument, and I KNOW it will," Dune said, stepping into the center of the chamber. "I'LL decide which one we go into."

"How?" Clay and Horizon asked.

Dune examined the two paths before pointing to the one ahead, then saying: "Eenie, meanie, miney, blah blah blah, Luxray's toe, blah blah blah, mother...AAAAAND, we go into the right tunnel!"

As Dune casually walked into the tunnel, his two companions blinked.

Horizon tilted her head. "Did he..."

Clay shrugged. "Seems...legit?"

Eventually, they followed Dune down the tunnel, which the branched into two directions: left and right.

"LEFT!" Dune declared and turned that way.

"Why?" Horizon asked.

"'Cause I said so," Dune replied, still walking. Horizon frowned, but followed. Clay also seemed reluctant, but did the same. They were soon fought by another Pokémon: a Noctowl, with its brown plumage and tan trident-shaped "horns" above its eyes. The Flying-type hovered above the ground in front of the cave leading into another room, and it seemed like it had no intention of moving.

Noctowl lashed out at Dune with Air Slash, but he took it down with Stone Edge. With it gone, the cave was clear to walk into. The chamber was slightly smaller than the last one, and only had one path that led to the right. Naturally, they went down that one.

It kept going straight before opening into a third room. On the far end, another cave opened up to reveal stairs leading upwards.

"Huh, there they are," Horizon remarked, glancing at the stairs. "How'd you know the stairs were this way?"

Dune shrugged. "Well, bein' an explorer yerself, I assume you know the answer to that already."

Clay frowned. "She does?"

" _Think._ When yer in places like this, which are pretty much big mazes, you really don't have a way of knowing where to go," Dune said. "On that case, you just gotta take yer best guess- wing it, and hope yer right."

"Well, I knew that!" Horizon replied. "But it usually takes me a few tries before finding the right way, and you did it instantly!"

"Eh, just luck I guess," Dune replied nonchalantly. He walked up the steps with Clay and Horizon in tow.

"Remember," Clay said to Horizon. "Dune's had more experience in Mystery Dungeons than us. It makes sense he'd be better at tracking stairs than us."

Horizon sighed. "Yeah, I know..."

* * *

The trio entered into a new room, small but long, that only had one path leading to the left. They followed it, and it turned another left before opening into bigger chamber. This one had a cave that lead to other parts in all three walls. This created many paths Dune, Clay, and Horizon could go down- but only one would be correct.

"Well...there are three paths, and three of us," Clay suggested. "How about we split up- one of us goes down one path! One of them's bound to lead to the stairs!"

Dune shook his head. "Didn't ya learn anything from Southern Savanna? It's a bad idea to go in alone."

Horizon nodded. "Besides, how are we supposed to know if one of us _did_ find the stairs? Who knows how big this floor is!"

"Oh, okay," Clay replied, frowning. "So, what should we do here?"

Dune examined all three paths. "Let's go...to the left again."

"You sure?" Clay asked.

"Yup."

As they approached the path, the dark red and dark blue feathers of a Braviary emerged from the path. It glared at the intruders and lashed out at Clay with Crush Claw. Clay blocked with Metal Claw, then shot the Braviary with Focus Blast. Horizon finished it off with X-Scissor.

After that encounter, the trio headed down the path, which opened up into a small room. No stairs here. There _was,_ however, another Golbat. It was sleeping in the corner, though. Horizon raised her claws and stepped forward, ready to attack. She was then stopped by Dune.

"No. We don't wanna start a fight we can avoid," he growled. "Just turn around and walk away."

Horizon hesitated for a moment before following Dune's command. They backtracked into the large chamber before deciding to go into the path to the right. The path was _long,_ and they encountered another Noctowl before coming into another large room. This time, the stairs were in here, and they ascended.

"Ya know, I'm pretty sure ya'll have been exploring around before," Dune remarked. "Do I really need to explain some of the stuff I have to you?"

Horizon frowned. He must be talking about her and Clay. "Well, in our defense, we've never traveled with a group before. At least, _I_ haven't."

"No, you're right, I haven't either," Clay agreed. "I guess we're just not used to working together like this. We usually just did our own thing."

Horizon nodded. Dune shrugged "Eh, you'll get used to it."

"Huh? Were YOU ever part of a team?" Clay asked.

Dune frowned. "Um...at one point,"

" _You?_ Seriously?" Horizon gasped. "No offense, but you don't really strike me as the social type..."

Dune growled. "Well, it was a long time ago, so _drop it."_

Horizon turned to Clay, confused. He simply shrugged. Dune, for whatever reason, was _extremely_ reluctant to discuss any part of past. Eh, who knows.

Maybe it was best to keep it like that...

* * *

The stairs opened up into the exterior of Rainbow Summit, on a ledge lead to another cave a few meters away. From their vantage point, one got a pretty good view of the land below. However, the area above them was covered in thick clouds, so they couldn't see how far they were from the peak.

Clay backed as far away from the edge as he could. "Okay great, we made it here, let's keep going!" He moved briskly away towards the cave.

"I thought you said you wanted a bit of adventure," Dune remarked, following.

Clay frowned. " _Yes,_ but I planned to stay _away_ from really high places!"

Horizon walked past. "Well then, just stay away from the edge, and don't look down. Simple as that."

Clay nodded and continued along the ledge, staying at a far distance from the edge. As they walked, a small shadow appeared overhead...and then another. Soon, two Pokémon- a Braviary and a brown and cream-colored Pidgeot- dropped from the sky onto the ledge. Pidgeot lashed out with Twister while Braviary used Slash. Dune countered Twister with Stone Edge while Horizon defeated Braviary with X-Scissor.

Clay ran into the cave. "Sorry, but I don't want to risk falling off! It's a steep fall, you know!"

Dune rolled his eyes. "Glad we can count on you for support!"

"I can help out in here!" Clay replied. As if fate summoned it, a Golbat swooped from the ceiling towards him. Clay hit him straight in the face with a Metal Claw. "See?"

Dune and Horizon followed him in. Almost immediately, the path opened into a _massive_ room, and the stairs were on the far right corner from them. The problem- a Pidgeot, two Noctowl, a Golbat, and now the grayish-brown feathers of a Staraptor were blocking the way.

Dune sighed. "Well, looks like it's gonna be one of _those_ situations, eh?" With that, he attacked one of the Noctowls with Iron Tail, knocking it into a wall and causing the other Pokémon to rush at Dune.

"You mean running into an angry mob of Pokémon and trying not to get overwhelmed?" Horizon asked, knocking out the Golbat with Brick Break. "Good idea!"

Clay ducked under the attack of the Staraptor and hit it in the belly with Focus Blast. "At least we're not at the risk of falling to our doom!"

Horizon slammed into the Pidgeot with Gyro Ball just as it used Wing Attack, while Dune finished off the other Noctowl with Crunch. The Krokorok dusted himself off. "Yeah, sure. Be thankful this place wasn't what I call a 'Monster House'."

Horizon looked up. "Hm?"

Dune walked over to the stairs. "Meh, I'll tell ya another time."

* * *

They came out into a small chamber that only had one path- right. They followed it and, surprisingly, this floor was somewhat tame. The paths criss-crossed in _several_ locations, creating a multitude of plus-shaped crossroads and making the floor a very confusing maze. Not to mention the chambers were pretty small too. Oddly enough, they didn't really run into any Pokémon. One or two may have passed through paths up ahead, but they didn't notice Dune and the others.

Finally, when it seemed like they had explored the entire floor ("THESE PATHS NEVER END!" Clay had shouted at one point.), they found a small room containing the stairs.

"Well, FINALLY," Horizon sighed and sprinted up the stairs.

Dune frowned as he followed. "I _hate_ it when Dungeons have floors like these..."

Clay also sped up the stairs. "I thought we'd _never_ leave!"

* * *

The trio came out into a narrow chamber that had a path on all four sides. The western path had a Braviary sleeping besides it, so they decided to ignore that one for now. They tried the southern path, but that one just went around in a circle before coming out through the same opening again. That just left north and east.

When they were about to start debating which path to follow, a Staraptor cannoned through the northern path towards Dune, Clay, and Horizon. Horizon sent it flying with X-Scissor while Clay finished it with Aerial Ace. Horizon glanced at the path the Staraptor had come out of and declared, "We're going north!"

Dune tilted his head. "How come?"

Horizon shrugged. "It's an old strategy I came up with- whichever path the Pokémon come out of, that's where the stairs are. Well, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but it's worth a try."

"I guess, right?" Clay agreed. Dune just grunted, but nodded. They headed down the path, which then turned right, then opened up into another room. This one had only one path that led straight ahead. They followed it, until it split into a second path that led left.

"Er...where now?" Clay asked as he stood in the intersection of the two paths. Before Dune or Horizon could answer, a Pidgeot soared down the path towards him as a Golbat attacked the other two Ground-types. Clay attacked his opponent with Metal Claw, but missed. Pidgeot raked its talons across the Excadrill's snout, but Clay fought back with Aerial Ace, then used Metal Claw again to finish the fight.

Meanwhile, Dune was slamming the Golbat with Iron Tail while Horizon lashed out with Gyro Ball. Once the two Pokémon were defeated, Horizon said, "The Pidgeot came from the left, so...let's go left!"

So they did. They followed the path that led left, but it led to nothing more than a dead end. They backtracked and followed the other path that led straight ahead. This time, the room _did_ have the stairs in it.

Clay shrugged. "Well, Horizon, your plan was _half_ right."

Horizon nodded. "Better than nothing."

Dune ignored the conversation and walked up the stairs, soon followed by Clay and Horizon.

* * *

They came out into another exterior area. They were above the clouds this time, and the trio could see a multitude of vibrant rainbows at the peak of the mountain.

Horizon stared in awe. "WOW! These ones look even prettier up here!"

"It's called 'Rainbow Summit' for a reason," Dune grunted.

"Imagine what it'll look it when we get to the top!" Clay shouted, running up the ledge. It seemed he had forgotten about his fear of heights for a little while.

Amazingly, they didn't encounter any other Pokémon while on the ledge. As a matter of fact, the ledge didn't even go into another cave- just a long set of stone stairs, spiraling around the mountain. They seemed to lead all the way up to the summit.

"Yes, we're nearly there!" Horizon shouted as she bounded up the steps. Clay seemed more reluctant, probably remembering his fear.

"C'mon already," Dune growled as he practically dragged Clay with him up the stairs. The steps spiraled around for a little while, and the peak got closer and closer. Eventually, the steps ended as the trio stood on solid ground.

All around them, vivid rainbows glowed with brilliance, and the gold-tinged stone of the mountain shone so bright, anyone would think it was actual gold. There was no doubt in their minds- this was the peak of Rainbow Summit.

* * *

 **A/N: Long chapter is long, I know. Hey, it's a Dungeon chapter, it _has_ to be long. And descriptive... think I did pretty well on description. Maybe a little _too_ well...? Well, sorry if some parts seemed boring to you guys. Trust me- next chapter is gonna be all action-packed! **

**Now, quick note...I now have a Tumblr blog. Yeah, got one a few weeks ago, so that took up a little time. So, if updates are a little later than usual, that's probably why. I haven't forgotten about this story, though, so don't worry about a thing! Read, review, whatever you need! Constructive criticism is always welcome! See you next chapter, everybody!**


	8. The Source of the Problem

**A/N: Oh look. Chapter. *blows horn* I have no idea why I did that...sorry for the late update. Part of it was writer's block, the other part just me being lazy...(-_-') It's here now, so...*blows horn again***

 **So last time, Dune, Clay, and Horizon traveled to Rainbow Summit, with all its rainbow glory! And now that they're at the top, will they figure out what caused that strange glow in Chapter 6? Let's find out, shall we?**

* * *

 ** _Night-Waker:_ IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU REVIEWED. Took ya long enough...and I'm not telling you if you're right or not. You'll have to wait like everyone else!**

 ** _Imagination_ _is_ _king:_ RAINBOWS ARE MAGIC! YEEEEEEAAAAAAAH! *flies out on a rainbow jet pack***

 ** _Miplets:_ Seriously? Thanks! And I'll be sure to do better with my descriptions of where the characters are future chapters!**

 ** _Dranicus101:_ Well, every group needs that one mysterious character! Anyways, glad you found that part funny, and yes...describing everything from the Pokémon to the Dungeon _does_ take lots of patience. And lots of time...IT'S WORTH IT IN THE END, THOUGH! **

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Source of the Problem**

"I don't see anything up here," Dune remarked, patrolling the circular platform that was the peak of Rainbow Summit. "Not counting the rainbows and such..."

"Hey," Horizon spoke, looking behind Dune. "What's that over there?"

Dune turned to where Horizon was looking. On the other side of the summit was something tall and black, sharply contrasting with the bright gold of the ground. The three of them walked over to it. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a small obelisk of sorts, maybe about six feet in height, made from a dark black stone. It had strange, rectangular patterns on all four sides, and the top appeared to have been broken off completely.

"Hey, look at this!" Clay called as he hoisted himself up higher onto the obelisk so he could get a clear look at the broken top. "The inside...is hollow."

Horizon stood up on her toes, trying to get the best view possible. Eventually, she nodded. "He's right- the inside of this thing is completely hollow."

Dune peered into the obelisk and could confirm what Clay and Horizon had said. "Huh...weird. Why is this thing hollow?"

Clay shrugged. "Maybe there's something inside?"

Horizon shook her head. "If there was, it's gone now. There's nothing in there except dust."

"Well...wait. Y'all remember that gold glow we saw comin' from here?" Dune asked. "Maybe _this_ thing is where it came from. I mean, doesn't it look kinda out of place up here?"

Horizon pondered this for a moment, then nodded. "That's probably the closest theory we'll ever have right now. Question is, what exactly is 'this'?"

Then, Clay had an idea. "Horizon! Why not check that old book of yours? There _must_ be something in there that can tell us what this is!"

Horizon shook her head. "Trust me, I've read through this book so many times, I've practically _memorized_ it. I'm pretty sure I'd remember something about a creepy black obelisk."

Whatever this was, Dune was certain they had found the source of the strange gold glow they had seen back in Alpha Town. Still, Horizon was right- what really was this mysterious object? What was it doing here? It seemed important somehow, that was for sure...but _how?_

There was something else that bothered Dune. The top of the obelisk...it seemed as though something had been there before, a top of some sort. It was gone now, a large chunk of the jet black stone gone from this top. Something must have broken it off, but how? More importantly, why? To create that beam? That didn't answer Dune's question... _why?_

Clay stared hard at the obelisk. "Huh...hey, maybe it's-"

It was at that moment that a golden glitter slowly rained down from the sky.

One sparkle landed on Clay's nose and caused him to sneeze. "What the heck?"

Horizon swiped a claw at the glittering light, but it simply dissipated on her hand. "It's...raining...glitter?"

Dune shook his head as the golden shine floated onto his nose. "Well then, now I've seen it all..."

Then, what sounded like a furious screech cut through the sky as a massive shadow soared over the trio.

Clay yelped at this. "ACK! No, not again!"

"Not again?" Horizon asked. "I know what you mean, but...hey, maybe it's not bad! Maybe it's a...nice...shadow...?"

Another deafening screech tore through the air.

"Oh, forget it!" Horizon snarled, glaring at the sky. At once, a gleaming shape was beginning to take form. It looked distinctively like a large bird, and each flap of its wings caused more of the gold light to rain down.

"Could that be...another Legendary?" Dune wondered out loud. Lugia was one thing...but seeing (and possibly fighting) a second Legendary was...no. Just no.

Clay yelped in shock as the bird dive bombed the three of them, creating a huge cloud of dust. They dodged the blow, but wound up scattered on three sides of the peak. As the dust cleared, the features of the Pokémon became visible.

It had mostly red and gold feathers with yellow tail feathers, with a yellow feathered crest on its head. Its underside was white, and it had green feathers at the end of its wings. It has a green stripe on its neck, and black rings around its eyes, which had the same red haze as Lugia had. It opened its yellow beak in another screech.

" _Horizon!?"_ Clay shouted, stepping back from the large Pokémon.

"On it!" Horizon replied, already flipping through her book. "Okay, I think- LOOK OUT!"

The bird Pokémon opened its beak again and scorched the ground with Flamethrower. Horizon used Dig to dodge it, Dune used Stone Edge to counter it, and Clay just ran for his life.

Horizon emerged from the ground after the attack was over and said, "Like I said, this Pokémon-"

The bird Pokémon swooped down on Horizon, its dark talons outstretched, and the Sandslash dove away. Their opponent crashed into the rock, kicking up gravel. Dune ran over an lashed out with Iron Tail.

Horizon slashed with X-Scissor before speaking again. "Its name is-"

The Pokémon once again interrupted her by firing a powerful Extrasensory at Dune. Like last time, it didn't effect him. Horizon growled in frustration before she leaped at the Pokémon.

"WILL. YOU. LET. ME. TALK!?" she roared, hitting it with Gyro Ball with each word. The Pokémon screeched and flew back to avoid another attack. Horizon turned to Dune and quickly said, "ThatPokémoniscalledHo-oh, itcanresurrectthedead, aaaanditseemstolikerainbows."

Dune blinked at this new information. "...Ho-oh? That's a weird name..."

 _"You're_ a weird name," Horizon replied, catching her breath after spouting out all that info at once. Dune just stared with a _What?_ expression.

Ho-oh turned back around and charged at them with Punishment. Horizon ducked under the Rainbow Pokémon, the slashed its underbelly with another X-Scissor. Ho-oh flew up and attempted to grab Horizon in its talons, but Dune intercepted this with Stone Edge. Ho-oh then lit up the air with another Flamethrower. Horizon and Dune ducked beneath it, but they could still feel the intense heat on their backs.

Clay, on the other hand, was still running around frantically. In his panic, he didn't notice the flames heading his way...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

...until he got incinerated by them. Horizon turned around, concerned. "Clay! Are you okay?"

Clay, who was lying on the ground near the obelisk, replied, "More or less..."

Ho-oh flew over Dune and Horizon and went straight for Clay. The Excadrill looked up at the multicolored Pokémon, terrified. Ho-oh screeched, opened its talons, and divebombed Clay. Panicked, he fired a Focus Blast right into the Rainbow Pokémon's belly, causing it to stagger back. This gave Clay the opportunity to run away...

...but not before Ho-oh fired an Extrasensory at him. Then, Horizon sprinted up and used Gyro Ball, hitting it in the chest and causing Ho-oh to lurch sideways. This caused the Extrasensory to be fired to Clay's far right, hitting rock instead of Excadrill. Clay, after getting over the initial shock, turned back and fired another Focus Blast at Ho-oh, this one hitting it square in the beak. Horizon then used Gyro Ball once more, uppercutting the large Pokémon's wing.

Meanwhile, Dune had come up behind Ho-oh and was currently attacking with Stone Edge. After taking a few attacks, the Rainbow Pokémon flew around towards the Krokorok and aimed a Punishment at him. Dune attempted to counter with Iron Tail, but wound up being flung back. He skidded along the ground before jumping back to his feet.

Ho-oh fired Extrasensory at Horizon, who used Dig to avoid it. While Clay was trying (and failing) to hit it with Metal Claw, Horizon emerged from the ground behind Ho-oh and flew at it with X-Scissor. However, her opponent flew straight up, so the Sandslash could only graze its tail feathers. Then, Ho-oh swooped down again and grabbed Horizon in its talons.

"NononononoNO!" Horizon shouted, trying to dig her claws into the ground. Ho-oh, however, was too strong and had a grip too tight for her to escape. Clay ran forward and slashed the Legendary with Aerial Ace, but that only seemed to make the situation worse. That's because, when Clay slashed at its side, Ho-oh seemed to get even _angrier,_ if that was at all possible. As a result, it proceeded to chase the terrified Excadrill around the summit while firing Flamethrower after Flamethrower. All while holding Horizon in its grasp.

" _I think I'm gonna be sick!"_ Horizon yelled as she was dragged around the mountain summit with Ho-oh. Clay was still dodging attacks and attempting to blast Ho-oh with Focus Blast, but to no avail. Then, Dune sprang forward and used Crunch. The first time, the Rainbow Pokémon dodged and left him to eat dirt. The second time- close, but not close enough. Third time- hit! Dune dug his fangs into Ho-oh's neck. It screeched in pain, flung Horizon across the stone, and threw Dune off onto the ground.

Dune rolled over just as Ho-oh seared the ground with Sacred Fire. It flew over the Krokorok and was about to deliver another attack- but was then hit in the face with Gyro Ball.

"THAT WAS FOR MAKING ME WANNA PUKE!" Horizon roared angrily as she rebounded off Ho-oh. As she hit the ground, she used the momentum to propel her so that she was directly in front of Ho-oh's beak. As she came down using Brick Break, she growled, "AND THAT'S FOR TRYING TO SET US ON FIRE!"

As Dune and Clay stared, Horizon managed to deliver two more powerful Brick Breaks to Ho-oh's face. That seemed to finish the battle...since the Legendary staggered to the ground, dazed. Horizon delivered one last kick to its chest, knocking it down at last. Clay stared, then said, "Welp, I have no plans to get on _your_ bad side any time soon..."

"Smart," Horizon replied, dusting herself off. As she walked over to the two of them, Ho-oh suddenly became enveloped in a glow similar to that of Lugia, only this one was gold. It got up, shook its head, then took off into the sky.

"Wait, what-" Clay said as Ho-oh took off. When the Legendary flew off into the distance, he scratched his head. "Why does that happen?"

Dune shrugged. "I don't know...why is _any_ of this happening?"

Horizon glanced back at the dark obelisk. "There's a good chance that thing has something to do with it, but..."

"We have literally no idea what it is," Clay stated flatly.

"Well, standing here won't solve anything," Dune said, crossing his arms. "I...may have an idea, actually."

Clay and Horizon stared at him.

"Well, remember them Pawniards we saw before we got to the mountain?" Dune asked. "Well, Pawniards aren't from here, otherwise we woulda seen some on our way up here."

"So...what?" Horizon replied, cocking her head. "You think those Pawniards had something to do with this?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Dune replied. "It's _something,_ to say the least."

"I guess..." Clay replied. "But...what do we do? Follow them? We don't know where they are."

Dune took out the torn paper from before. "I think I have an idea of how to do that."

Clay glanced at the paper. "What's that?"

"You'll see," Dune replied. He walked over to the slope that had lead up to the summit. "Now, let's get outta here before something else goes wrong."

* * *

 **A/N: And that's Chapter 8, folks! Ho-oh and strange black obelisks! And much more confusion as to what's happening in Pokéa! Also, if anyone remembers the Pawniards Dune, Clay, and Horizon ran into at the beginning of Chapter 7, congrats! You win a free plushie! *throws various Pokémon plushies at people*** **Also, since school is starting up again, I may not update as frequently as I usually do. But never fear! I haven't forgotten this story, and I doubt I will anytime soon!**

 **So, for now, thank you all so much for the great feedback! It really helps to know you guys love this story so much, and I _love_ writing it! Thanks for standing by it thus far, and for...over 250 views!? WOW, THAT'S AWESOME! That's not to say over 250 of you clicked on this and LIKED it, but still! Thanks everyone! I'll update soon, I promise! See you all then!**


	9. Name Your Team

**A/N: OH. MY ARCEUS.**

 **It's been MONTHS since I worked on this...I can't believe it! WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME, I KEPT YOU ALL WAITING FOR SO LONG! I'M SO SORRY! DX**

 **I'm not even gonna try to explain this time- there's no excuse for not updating. In the future, I'm gonna do my very best to manage my time better and ACTUALLY UPDATE THIS STORY. I've not forgotten this story, nor have I given up on it. Stuff kinda happened a while back, which I'm not gonna explain here. Thank to anyone and everyone who stuck around to see this new chapter!**

 **Important note: this chapter's gonna be short. I know, I know- 'X, YOU MADE US WAIT TWO MONTHS FOR FILLER!?'. I know it may seem like filler, BUT- you're gonna learn something important! *coughcough*-BACKSTORY-*cough* ;)**

 **So last time, Dune, Clay, and Horizon got to the top of Rainbow Summit, only to find a mysterious black obelisk and a very angry Ho-oh! And it seems like Dune has some suspicions about those Pawniards seen back in Chapter 7. Is he right to be suspicious? And where is the trio going next? Let's see...**

* * *

 ** _Masked_ _Gamer:_ You bet! She is certainly scary... *nervous laughter***

 ** _Imagination_ _is_ _king:_ *throws a box of Zoroark plushies at you***

 ** _Dranicus101:_ Yeah, I think I made myself a little too obvious with Ho-oh. Then again, I'm not really _trying_ to get anyone to guess which Legendary is gonna be fought next...**

 ** _Miplets:_ Huh, I didn't know there were chew toys in here...*picks one up, looks around, then beings chewing on herself***

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Name Your Team**

"But how do you _know_ they're heading that way?" Horizon repeated. "There are a bunch of other Dungeons in that same direction- how do you know they didn't go somewhere else?"

"The arrow points to this place!" Dune insisted. "Even if the Pawniards aren't heading there right this minute, there's gotta be a reason it was marked."

Dune, Clay, and Horizon had only gotten down from Rainbow Summit a little while ago and where now sitting around a pile of stones near the entrance. Dune had explained how the paper scrap was actually part of a map of Pokéa. By comparing that piece with his own map, Dune was able to guess the arrow was pointing from Rainbow Summit to a location way out in the ocean.

"I guess..." Clay replied, skeptical. "But why are we worrying so much about a bunch of Pokémon with scary swords for hands?"

"Because I'm a little suspicious that them Pawniards had something to do with Ho-oh showing up," Dune replied. "After all, _something_ broke that obelisk, and it definitely wasn't natural."

Clay shrugged. "I guess..."

"Dune," Horizon spoke up. "Even if you're somehow right, how are we going to get there? We can't swim, and we definitely can't breathe underwater. We're not fish!"

Dune shoved the scrap into his bag. "Well...I might just know someone who can help us."

"Do you now..." Horizon muttered.

"Yes, I do," Dune replied matter-of-factly. He stood up and walked down the dirt path. Horizon strode behind him. Clay sprinted up next to both of them. "Hey, I was thinking..."

"'Bout time..." Dune muttered.

"If we're gonna be exploring places together," Clay continued. "Our team needs to have a name!"

Dune glared at the Excadrill. "We are _not_ a team. This whole exploration thing ain't gonna last, kid. After we get through this next Dungeon, yer gonna be on yer own."

Clay looked down, slightly crestfallen. "But it's a good name..."

"Dune, stop being a stick in the mud," Horizon replied hotly. "Would it kill you to at least listen to his idea?"

Dune didn't stop walking, but he flicked his tail in acknowledgement.

Clay beamed. "How about Team Terra? In heard 'terra' means 'ground' in some other language."

Horizon nodded. "Ah, interesting. Since we're all Ground-types..."

"Uh-huh!"

Dune said nothing. Horizon shot him a small glare, but the Krokorok just kept moving ahead.

* * *

After hours of trekking, the three of them arrived at a vast beach, overlooking the shining ocean.

"So, where's this 'someone who can help us'?" Horizon asked, putting air quotes around those last five words.

"Gimme a minute..." Dune grumbled, walking ahead of them. He glanced around the beach, as though searching for something. Finally, he seemed to notice something off in the distance, then sprinted across the beach.

"Er- Dune, wait up!" Clay shouted, running after him. Horizon trailed close behind. Soon, they caught up to the Krokorok, who was investigating what appeared to be a smooth, round, stone platform extending out to the ocean. The violet stone seemed aged, yet still retained some form of beauty to it.

Dune stood at the edge of the platform, looking out at the water. _Now, where is she..._

Horizon and Clay walked up behind him. Clay frowned at the water. "Um, what's the point of this, exactly?"

"Just wait a sec..." Dune replied, not looking at anyone. His black eyes kept scanning the water endlessly...

...and then a black figure passed by the rocky outlook.

Clay and Horizon jumped in surprise as the round shadow surfaced a couple inches from land. It had a dark blue back with a gray underside, and two large fins. It had two rings on its back, and two long antennae extending from its head. A Mantine.

"Kite," Dune greeted. "It's been a while."

The Mantine, Kite, turned her wide head to look at Dune. "Dune, darling, it's been AGES since we last spoke!"

Clay and Horizon blinked.

"And who are your dazzling friends?" Kite asked, swimming around to examine the two of them.

"Erm...I'm Clay," Clay greeted. He gestured to Horizon. "And that's Horizon."

Horizon waved. _So..._ this _is our help? Not what I was expecting, but whatever works..._ "So, how did you know we were here?"

"Oh, I've lived here my whole life, young one," Kite replied cheerily. "I can sort of...sense when Pokémon are above my home. Why, this stone outlook is actually the roof of the cave in which I reside!"

"No time for small talk, Kite," Dune stated, facing the Mantine. "We need-"

"How are Sandstorm and Pyrite?" Kite suddenly asked, interrupting Dune.

An emotion that neither Clay nor Horizon had seen on Dune's face suddenly appeared- the Krokorok's expression seemed to betray shock, fear, and sadness all at once. Then, as soon as it had arrived, it was gone, and Dune was back to his regular self. "They're..."

"Who are Sandstorm and Pyrite?" Clay asked. Kite answered, "Dune hasn't told you about them, darling? Well then, you should know Sandstorm is Dune's dear brother, and Pyrite was Sandstorm's girlfriend!"

Dune grunted. "Pretty much..."

Kite looked around. "Where are they? It would be SPLENDID to see them again! Oh, I can't remember the last time we-"

"KITE," Dune interrupted angrily. "Not the time! I need you take us to this place-" He pointed to the location on the map.

Kite looked slightly offended at Dune's interruption, but examined the map anyways. "Ah, the Ancient Sea! Beautiful choice, I must say!"

"Yeah yeah, can ya take us there or not?" Dune asked impatiently.

Kite frowned. "Very well. All of you, onto my back you go!"

The Mantine turned to expose her back, which Dune hopped onto. He was soon (reluctantly) followed by Clay and Horizon. As Kite prepared to swim off, she said, "And maybe afterwards you'll actually WANT to speak to me! Oh, Dune, what have you been doing all these years? I seem to remember a time when you would see to ENJOY my stories..."

Kite continued to ramble on, much to the dismay of Dune, Clay, and Horizon, as the Mantine swam to the north, leaving the beach and her rocky home behind.

* * *

 **A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAAAALL THE YES. It's done! Are you satisfied? We learned a bite about Dune's mysterious backstory, so I'd say that's a win! Also, Team Terra is a thing now! I'll be using it more frequently in the future, so don't worry that I only mentioned it once in this chapter. Because, quite honestly, I'm getting tired of writing stuff like "the trio" or "Dune, Clay, and Horizon" (even though I did it again at the end...).**

 **So then, next time, another Mystery Dungeon chapter! First, I need your opinions- for Mystery Dungeon chapters, I'm planning on writing what floor of the Dungeon Team Terra is on. You know, something like-**

 **Random Dungeon- F44**

 **-you know, something like that. Just to prevent any confusion, you know? So, what you guys think? Let me know! Thanks for waiting so patiently! You guys are awesome! STAY awesome! Bye!**


	10. Ancient Sea

**A/N: WHY. DO I. KEEP. PUTTING. THIS. OFF? *facedesks***

 **I gotta stop doing this...I'm not even gonna try to explain why I haven't updated, you guys probably don't want to hear any excuses. I need to stop putting off updating this, because I know there are people out there like you guys who enjoy this story and want to see it continue. The last I want is to disappoint everyone. You're probably still mad though, so just let out your anger towards me I'm any way you see fit- I probably deserve it for making all of you wait so long for another chapter. And I certainly haven't forgotten about this story, it's just progress has been a little slow. Thank you, to anyone who still waited for this to update throughout this long hiatus. You guys are awesome, never forget that! :)**

 **Okay, last time I gave you guys a short chapter. Today, though, you get a Mystery Dungeon chapter! Which means- LONG CHAPTER! And it taking forever to write! Eh... (-_-')**

 **So, this Dungeon, if not evident last time, is going to be water-based! Even though this is gonna be the only time we'll see one, I still have no idea how this'll turn out! Still, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Review Replies:**

 ** _Masked_ _Gamer:_ Glad you like the name! It is a neat name, isn't it? And thanks for the feedback on the floors thing!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Ancient Sea**

"And that's why I'll never eat seaweed again," Kite concluded.

The Mantine had been carrying Team Terra across the ocean for about an hour now. Since most would consider this boring, Kite decided to liven things up by telling the trio stories. For a whole sixty minutes. _Nonstop._ Team Terra couldn't wait until they arrived at this Dungeon.

"Oh! That reminds me of the day my sister-" Kite began, but soon stopped herself. "Look at that- we're here!"

The three Pokémon immediately perked up at this. In the distance, they could see what appeared to be the top of a square tower of sorts, constructed out of deep blue stone. The tower appeared to be extremely aged, and some pieces of stone had long since chipped away. The rest of the tower appeared to be completely submerged in the seawater.

Kite stopped in front of the huge platform, allowing Team Terra to jump onto it.

Kite beamed. "Welcome to Ancient Sea!"

" _Ancient_ is right," Horizon muttered, examining the aged stone.

Clay looked around. "Uh...how do we get in?"

Dune walked over to the center of the platform, where a large, jagged hole opened up into the interior of the tower. Peeking in, he saw a problem- the entirety of it was swallowed by water. It was too deep for a non-Water-type like Dune, Clay, or Horizon to swim through, let alone the rest of the Dungeon.

Clay realized this problem immediately. "What do we do now? We won't last long in there..."

"Not unless you can survive underwater," Kite spoke up. "I know what you're going to say- 'Kite, we can't survive underwater.' Don't fret, I have the perfect solution!"

The Mantine then vanished under the water without another word. A couple moments later, she resurfaced, but this time she wasn't alone. Adjacent to her were the dark blue scales of a Lumineon. The fishlike Pokémon scanned Team Terra with deep pink eyes. Finally, he said, "So Kite, these are the Pokémon who plan to explore the Ancient Sea?"

Kite nodded. "You got it! Everyone, this is Rain."

Dune, Clay, and Horizon quickly greeted the Lumineon. Dune huffed, "How are you supposed to help us get into the Dungeon?"

Kite giggled. "Rain, do your thing!"

Rain nodded and turned to the trio. "Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit."

Without giving them a chance to respond, Rain shot the the trio with a strong torrent of water, thoroughly drenching all of them. This earned the Lumineon angry glares from all of them.

"You soaked us- great," Horizon hissed, water dripping from the spines on her back. "What exactly did that accomplish?"

"Soaked is right," Rain replied, unfazed her bitter tone. "The move I just used is called Soak. It doesn't hurt, and it turns whoever I hit into pure Water-types. It also keeps your items and Bags from being ruined underwater."

Clay blinked in surprise. "Pure Water-types? But I like being a Ground-type..."

"The effects are temporary," Rain replied. "They'll last long enough for you to make it through the Dungeon, and should wear off by the time you return to the mainland."

"Well, as long as it allows us to go into Ancient Sea," Dune replied. He walked over towards the hole. Clay and Horizon followed.

"Say...you didn't happen to see a group of Pawniard come in here before us, did you?" Horizon asked.

Rain nodded. "Sure did- came by here a little while before you three. They wouldn't say what they were doing here, though."

The Pokémon of Team Terra glanced at each other, seeming to think the same thing. So, the Pawniards they saw before _were_ coming here...but why? There was only one way to find out.

"Good luck, all of you!" Kite called after them. "I hope you find what you're looking for!"

The three of them stood in front of the hole, looking into the cerulean water. Clay asked shakily, "You know, do we really have to go straight into the wa-"

Horizon shoved him in before diving in herself. Dune soon followed.

* * *

 _ **Ancient Sea- BF1**_

Clay sank into the water immediately, and soon his feet were touching the stone floor. He opened his eyes- the water made his vision somewhat blurry, but at least he could see. Plus, he could breathe! It wasn't long before Horizon and Dune were next to him.

"Uh...can we talk down here?" Clay asked. A few bubbles resulted from this, but his speech was more or less understandable.

"Apparently so," Dune replied as he swam (it was more slowly walking) to the only opening in the small room- to the right. Clay and Horizon followed him through the aged passageway that soon led into a bigger room. Not too far in front of them, a set of stairs seemed to lead downwards.

When Dune approached it, he was almost Crunched by a Carvanha. The red and blue Water Pokémon nearly crashed into the wall when Dune dodged, but went for Horizon instead. She quickly knocked it out with Gyro Ball, but took damage from its Rough Skin ability.

"I hate when things have that..." Horizon muttered as she followed Dune and Clay down the stairs.

* * *

 _ **Ancient Sea- BF2**_

Team Terra came to a huge room. Bigger than they had seen so far (not that they were very far). The stairs were on the other side of the room- but between them was a pair of Huntail, another Carvanha, a Sharpedo, a Starmie, and an Omastar.

"Well then," Dune said, taking in the situation calmly. "I think I know what we should be doing at a time like this."

"Find a way around them?" Clay asked.

"No. We're making a run for it," Dune replied simply.

"Heh?" Clay and Horizon asked simultaneously.

Dune let out a battle and surged ahead. Clay and Horizon, after getting over their shock at such a reckless action by Dune, quickly followed.

The Starmie spun at them with Rapid Spin, but Horizon countered this with Gyro Ball. Dune finished off their foe with Crunch. Meanwhile, as Clay took out the Omastar with Drill Run, one of the Huntail blasted him with Water Pulse. Had the Excadrill not been turned into a Water-type beforehand, the attack would've been devastating. Instead, it only did some damage, and allowed Clay to deliver a Focus Blast at the serpentine Pokémon.

The other Huntail went for Dune, but was knocked away by his Iron Tail. Then, Sharpedo sped at Horizon with Aqua Jet, but she used Dig to dodge it. She managed to defeat the Sharpedo- but was hurt by the Rough Skin. "Ugh, not again!"

As Dune took out the Carvanha with Stone Edge, he looked around to make sure no Pokémon were left. Sure enough, the room was empty, and there was nothing in the way of Team Terra getting to the stairs.

* * *

 _ **Ancient Sea- BF3**_

This area was much more tame. Heading through the left opening, then taking a right, they found their way to the stairs. Luckily, they didn't meet any resistance along the way (although Clay almost woke up a sleeping Sharpedo).

* * *

 _ **Ancient Sea- BF4**_

When Team Terra entered this room, they saw there were passageways on all four walls.

"Well then..." Horizon muttered. "Trail and error, I guess."

She swam to the northern wall, but Dune swam east. The two Pokémon stared.

"Ya know, I really think this way will lead us to the stairs faster," Dune said matter-of-factly.

Horizon frowned. "No, it's this way, I can feel it."

"How can you feel it?" Dune replied, crossing his arms. "It's not like you can see through the walls!"

"Oh, and I suppose _you_ can?" Horizon retorted. "This is trail and error anyways!"

"And I'd prefer it if it were more trail and less error!"

"If you're going to have a comeback, have it make sense!"

Then, Clay poked his head out of the south corridor. "Hey guys? I found the stairs."

Dune and Horizon stared.

"Yeah, there was a Starmie and Omastar there, but I took care of them," Clay continued, not acknowledging the duo's argument. Dune and Horizon glanced at each other and followed Clay through the passage. It was a lengthy hall, but at the end was a small room with a stairwell in the corner.

"See? Right there," Clay nodded, proud of himself. Dune and Horizon both looked shocked (and a little embarrassed, though Dune did a better job of hiding it) as they descended.

* * *

 _ **Ancient Sea- BF5**_

Immediately, the trio were blasted by a Water Pulse made by Carvanha. It hit Dune square in the snout, but didn't do as much damage thanks to his new Water-typing. Horizon hit the Water- and Dark-type with Dig, taking it out.

Seeing as how the room had only one path- left- they went through there. The hallway split, with one path going ahead and the other turning right. Team Terra decided to go ahead, but soon came to an abrupt dead end. When they turned around, a Sharpedo was charging at them with Skull Bash. Dune countered this with Stone Edge as Clay used Focus Blast, causing huge damage.

They turned right this time, and entered a room where a Huntail and Carvanha slept. The stairs were on the other side, however. Carefully, Team Terra navigated the room until they were right in front of the stairs-

-then Clay stepped on the tail of a Huntail. Horizon's eyes widened. "Just go, just _go!"_

They ran down the stairs to avoid a confrontation with the irate Pokémon.

* * *

 _ **Ancient Sea- BF6**_

This floor appeared to be another huge room, yet there were less Pokémon in it than before, and the stairs were closer- only a few yards in front of them. When a Starmie appeared in the passageway behind them, they hurried to the stairs to avoid a fight. They wanted to complete this Dungeon quickly, after all.

* * *

 _ **Ancient Sea- BF7**_

Upon entering this floor, Team Terra saw a sleeping Starmie near the one passage leading out of the room. Since there was no visible way they'd be able to get past it without a fight, Dune rushed towards it with Crunch and Clay finished it with Metal Claw. Moving ahead, they were blocked by an Omastar, who rushed at them with Spike Cannon. Horizon smashed the Omastar with Brick Break twice before it was knocked out. Once again, this floor wasn't too hard to navigate- a few twists and turns, and a couple of Pokémon that didn't see the trio. Soon, they found the stairs...and realized just how uneventful this floor was.

* * *

 _ **Ancient Sea- BF8**_

Luckily, this floor was much more eventful. Yes, the stairs were in that same room- but four Sharpedo blocked the way through.

"Well- I think I want to go back to when there was hardly anything to fight," Clay gulped.

"Oh, we can handle these guys," Horizon replied dismissively. "We're close to the bottom, I'm sure."

Dune didn't partake in the discussion, instead slamming an Iron Tail into the side of one Sharpedo. A second one used Poison Fang on him and threw him across the room. The Krokorok wasn't poisoned, luckily, and hurled a Stone Edge at them. The first one was hit and knocked out, but the second Sharpedo dodged and slammed into Dune with Aqua Jet. Dune countered with Crunch, knocking both of them backwards.

Clay rushed at a third Sharpedo with Aerial Ace, doing neutral damage. The shark-like Pokémon charged with Skull Bash, which Clay countered with Drill Run. The Sharpedo fell back, dazed, and Clay took the opportunity to blast it with Focus Blast.

Horizon slashed at the fourth Pokémon with X-Scissor twice. The Sharpedo was hit the first time, but dodged the second time and used Screech. The Sandslash covered her ears, and the Sharpedo took the opportunity to ram into her with Aqua Jet. Horizon quickly recovered and nailed her opponent in the head with Brick Break.

Once Dune was finished with his fight, the room was devoid of anyone else except Team Terra. Horizon said, "See? We could handle those guys."

"Can we just go now?"Clay asked, as if afraid something else would come and attack them.

Dune rolled his eyes and descended the stairs.

* * *

These stairs seemed longer than the others. As the team descended, the area became increasingly darker. Finally, they arrived at a circular chamber with various lanterns attached to the walls. They lit up the room with a bright blue color, atoning for the ambient darkness along the stairs prior. A large opening in the wall revealed a long hallway, also lined with the lanterns.

"Well, this is nice," Clay commented as they swam down the hallway. "The lights are a nice touch."

"We're not here to complement the interior decorating," Dune replied. "We're here to find those Pawniards and see if they know-"

Before Dune could finish, the area began to shake violently. Then, as quickly as the quake began, the room at the end of the hallway erupted into a bright blue light, which filled the hallway outside of it in an instant.

* * *

 **A/N: And on that note, I leave it off here! Now, I have something important to sat regarding Pokémon Legends...**

 **This story is going to be put on hold for a little while. What does that mean? Well, it's not being discontinued- don't think that, this story is still very much continuing. However, there are a bunch of other stories I want to work on, so Pokémon Legends is no longer going to be my main focus. That's not to say updates will stop- I'll still update this from time to time. Like I said, though- it won't be my top priority. Eventually, I plan to come back to this full-time. When? I have no idea.**

 **But anyways, thanks for sticking by this story this far. It's been a pleasure writing so far, and I hope you guys continue to be patient throughout this semi-hiatus. And thank you all for...over _500_ views? That's a LOT! Maybe not as much as other stories, but nonetheless- a lot. THANKS EVERYONE! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! **


End file.
